The United States has seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuelan exports in “back‑to‑back” operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, media reports said on Thursday.
US forces boarded the Russian‑flagged Marinera after a pursuit lasting almost two weeks as it travelled through waters between Iceland and Scotland, the BBC reported. The seizure was carried out to enforce sanctions related to Venezuelan oil exports.
In a separate operation, the tanker M/T Sophia was intercepted in the Caribbean, with the United States accusing it of “conducting illicit activities”.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X that “the blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in full effect, anywhere in the world.”
Moscow has denounced the boarding of the vessel sailing under the Russian flag and demanded that the United States ensure that the Russians aboard are treated properly and permitted to return home promptly.
The Russian Transport Ministry stated that it had granted the vessel “temporary permission” to fly the Russian flag and asserted that no state has the right to use force against vessels registered in another state’s jurisdiction.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Venezuela’s leadership is co‑operating with the United States regarding the second tanker seized in the Caribbean.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, “will be turning over” up to 50 million barrels of oil, worth some $2.8 billion (£2.1 billion), to the United States.
PAN Monitor/sa
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