MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US keeps seizing tankers linked to Venezuela

A vessel in the North Atlantic was renamed and re-flagged to Russia to deter US boarding

United States forces executed back-to-back seizures of two major oil tankers on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation in the naval blockade of Venezuela. The operations, part of the broader “Operation Southern Spear,” targeted vessels accused of defying sanctions and operating within the “dark fleet” to transport Venezuelan crude.

In a dramatic conclusion to a three-week pursuit, the USCGC Munro intercepted the merchant vessel Marinera (formerly the Bella 1) in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland. The vessel, which had been under surveillance since December, reportedly attempted to evade capture in the Caribbean before fleeing across the Atlantic.

During the chase, the vessel was renamed. Crew members reportedly painted a Russian flag on the hull to deter boarding.

Despite Russia’s protests, the US European Command deemed the vessel “stateless” due to the fraudulent flag change and executed a judicial seizure warrant.

Simultaneously, the US Southern Command apprehended the M/T Sophia in international waters in the Caribbean.

“The interdicted vessel was part of the dark fleet, an opaque network used to move oil from sanctioned regimes,” stated Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Officials confirmed the Sophia was falsely flying a Cameroonian flag and had recently departed from a Venezuelan port. The vessel is currently being escorted to the United States for final disposition.

The seizures coincide with a strategic pivot by the Trump administration to assume direct management of Venezuela’s energy sector. On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright detailed a plan to bypass the blockade for authorized sales. he US government intends to control the flow and sale of Venezuelan oil “indefinitely.”

Proceeds from these sales will be deposited into US-controlled accounts. Wright stated these funds would eventually flow back to the Venezuelan people, but are currently being held as “leverage” to drive political change. The plan includes allowing the import of critical US equipment to stabilize Venezuela’s degrading power grid and oil facilities.

These naval actions follow the January 3 Operation Absolute Resolve mission to capture former dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas and bring them to New York for trial.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that the US will continue to seek federal warrants to seize any vessels attempting to bypass the “complete blockade.”