Return of Tankers to Venezuelan Waters Amid U.S. Interest
Four tankers that departed from Venezuela earlier this January, with their tracking devices turned off, have reportedly made their way back to Venezuelan waters. This development coincides with the Trump administration’s efforts to capture Venezuelan oil, particularly following the seizure of several U.S. vessels and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.
According to reports, most of these four vessels were carrying cargo. Information shared by the state-owned company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and tracking services confirmed their return.
A convoy of roughly 12 laden vessels, along with at least three empty ones, managed to leave Venezuelan waters last month, despite a U.S. blockade that has been active since the middle of December.
U.S. Military Actions
One notable vessel among them, the Panamanian-registered supertanker M Sofia, was seized earlier this week by U.S. forces, along with another tanker, the Olina, flagged from Sao Tome and Principe. PDVSA reported that the Olina was released back to Venezuela on Friday.
The Olina had been captured during a pre-dawn mission. U.S. Southern Command stated that Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear executed the operation in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
“Such concerns are supported by the full strength of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious readiness group,” stated U.S. Southern Command, while highlighting the capabilities of several naval vessels involved. “Operation Southern Spear remains committed to protecting the homeland and restoring security within the region.”
The Olina, previously known as Minerva M, faced sanctions from the U.S. due to its role in transporting Russian oil.
Convoy and Executive Meetings
Additionally, three other tankers that exited Venezuela—the Panama-registered Merope, the Cook Islands-registered Min Hang, and the Panama-registered Thalia III—were later located in the waters off Venezuela, according to tracking services.
This situation unfolds as President Trump recently hosted around 20 oil company executives at the White House to discuss potential investments in Venezuela, following the U.S. military’s successful operations against Maduro. These executives came from major corporations including Chevron, Exxon, and Shell.
During the meeting, Trump emphasized the newfound security in Venezuela, noting, “One of the reasons we couldn’t go in was there were no guarantees, there was no security, and now we have total security.”
The president expressed optimism about the future of Venezuela, stating that the U.S. would benefit from accessing significant oil supplies. “We’re going to extract more oil than we’ve ever actually seen,” he added, mentioning that American citizens would reap the rewards.
Shortly before meeting with these executives, Trump announced that Venezuela would supply between 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned crude oil to the United States. “We will manage the proceeds to ensure they benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States,” he said.
