Venezuela Detains Ship in Waters Claimed by Guyana Guyana's government said Friday that Venezuela's navy has detained a ship operated by a U.S. oil company in waters disputed by the neighboring South American countries. It was ordered to sail under escort to Margarita Island in Venezuela, the Guyanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "It was then clear that the vessel and its crew were not only being escorted out of Guyana's waters, but were under arrest," the ministry said. These actions by the Venezuelan naval vessel are unprecedented in Guyana Venezuela relations. Venezuela said it legitimately detained the vessel for operating without authorization in its waters. Its government said the ship, Teknik Perdana, was expected to arrive on Margarita Island on Saturday. The two countries have been disputing their land and ocean borders for decades. Venezuelan oil minister Rafael Ramirez said the country was obligated to act if a ship was in its maritime zone without authorization. "We will jealously defend our country and our sovereignty," he said when asked about the incident at a news conference in Caracas. The minister said that Guyana and Venezuela have been in discussions over oil exploration in the area but he declined to discuss the status of those talks. John Christiansen, a spokesman for Anadarko, based near Houston, Texas, said the company, which has received a concession from Guyana to explore the area off the country's northern coast, was working with the governments of Guyana and the U.S. to secure the release of the crew and the vessel. The total number of crew members was not available, but there were at least five U.S. citizens, including Anadarko contractors and employees of TDI Brooks International, a company based in College Station, Texas, which was contracted to do the acoustic survey of the ocean floor. The Teknik Perdana, a 285-foot survey vessel, is flagged in Panama and owned by TL Geohydrographics Ltd. of Singapore. The ship was operating in what is known as the Roraima concession block, an area of the Atlantic off Guyana and Venezuela that that has drawn increased exploration interest in recent years. Associated Press writer Fabiola Sanchez contributed from Caracas, Venezuela.