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U.S. Seizes Seventh Venezuela-Linked Tanker in Caribbean, SOUTHCOM Says

The move advances Operation Southern Spear, the Trump-ordered effort to police sanctioned shipping tied to Venezuelan oil.

Overview

  • U.S. Southern Command said forces apprehended the Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident in the Caribbean near Venezuela.
  • The interception is the seventh reported since December under the quarantine targeting sanctioned tankers linked to Venezuelan crude.
  • Officials did not disclose the cargo volume, the intended destination or whether the Coast Guard assumed physical custody, and released limited imagery of the action.
  • Maritime records show the Sagitta has sailed under Panama and Liberia flags and is managed by a Hong Kong company, and the vessel was previously sanctioned under a 2022 Russia-related order.
  • President Trump has asserted the U.S. has removed and sold tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil, a claim Venezuelan authorities publicly dispute.