On 13 August, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that 55 vehicles, including oil tankers and US military escort vehicles, were seen on their way out of Syria headed towards Iraq via the Al-Waleed border crossing.

According to local sources outside the northeastern town of Al-Yarubiyah, two convoys made up of tankers, covered trucks, refrigerated trucks and American armored vehicles were seeing leaving the country over the past 24 hours.

Earlier in the week, US forces were seen smuggling 80 tankers allegedly filled with Syrian oil out of the country.

US forces, along with their Syrian Kurdish allies, control close to 90 percent of Syria’s oil-producing territory, cutting off the government from its most significant source of fuel and income.

Reports often come out of Syria claiming that US forces not only smuggle oil out of the country, but also much needed food supplies. As such, the Syrian government has been forced to depend on help from Iran and Russia in recent years.