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U.S. Seizes Seventh Venezuela-Linked Tanker, the MV Sagitta

Operation Southern Spear is tightening enforcement to route Venezuelan crude through U.S.-overseen sales.

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This screen grab released on January 20, 2026, from the X account of the US Southern Command shows the motor vessel Sagitta in the Caribbean. The United States announced January 20 that its forces seized another tanker in the Caribbean, the seventh ship apprehended since President Donald Trump announced a blockade to prevent sanctioned vessels going to or from Venezuela. The US military's Southern Command said the ship, identified as the Motor Vessel Sagitta, was "operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels" and was seized "without incident." (Photo by US SOUTHERN COMMAND / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / US Southern Command" - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
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Overview

  • U.S. Southern Command said forces apprehended the Liberian-flagged MV Sagitta in the Caribbean without incident, marking the seventh seizure under the administration’s maritime quarantine.
  • The command said the vessel was operating in defiance of restrictions on sanctioned ships and indicated it had taken on Venezuelan oil as part of unauthorized exports.
  • Ship registry records list a Hong Kong–based company as the Sagitta’s owner and manager, and the tanker has been under U.S. sanctions tied to Russia-related measures.
  • President Donald Trump says the U.S. has taken roughly 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude and begun sales, while interim leader Delcy Rodríguez reported receiving $300 million from an initial $500 million transaction to stabilize the currency market.
  • The White House pitches the interdictions and managed sales as steps toward rebuilding Venezuela’s oil sector with large new investment, even as legal challenges and industry caution highlight significant hurdles.