US Seizes Second Oil Tanker, This Time in the Caribbean

Following the U.S. military’s announcement on Wednesday about capturing a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic, U.S. Southern Command confirmed the takeover of the M/T Sophia oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea.

Media reports suggest that the Trump administration has filed a court warrant to seize additional oil linked to the Venezuelan oil trade. Recently, the U.S. military and coast guard have confiscated five ships in international waters over the last few weeks.

This operation is part of a campaign aimed at removing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been in U.S. custody since January 3. President Trump mentioned that Venezuela’s “cooperation” might help mitigate any potential “second wave of attacks” against the country.

After Maduro’s arrest, Trump indicated that the U.S. would maintain control over Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely. There have been several civil forfeiture actions initiated in federal courts to seize and confiscate oil cargoes and vessels involved in this trade, as informed by sources to Reuters. However, the exact number of forfeiture warrants filed by the U.S. remains unclear.

On Friday, the Army Department stated it would “hunt down and interdict all Dark Fleet vessels transporting Venezuelan oil at a chosen time and place.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell remarked on X that their blockade in the Caribbean is both fully operational and effective, with at least seven “Dark Fleet” oil carriers attempting to avoid interception in the past 24 hours, revealing the seriousness of their efforts. Attorney General Pam Bondi noted that the Justice Department is keeping an eye on several other ships, including the Russian-flagged Bela 1 tanker, suspected of transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

Notably, both Russia and Venezuela have turned to shadow fleets for oil transportation amidst sanctions.