Pentagon chief affirms sanctions enforcement following Marinera seizure

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has reiterated that Washington continues to enforce a global blockade against sanctioned Venezuelan oil, linking the policy directly to recent US maritime operations targeting oil tankers.

In a post on X, Hegseth commented on the US European Command’s announcement regarding the detention of the oil tanker Marinera, which was seized by US forces in the North Atlantic in a high‑visibility operation. US officials said the capture followed a weeks‑long pursuit and was executed under a federal court warrant for sanctions violations.

“The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world,” Hegseth wrote, framing the Marinera incident as part of Washington’s broader sanctions enforcement strategy.

The defense secretary later shared a similar message on social media alongside a video showing US forces seizing a second Venezuela‑linked oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. In that operation, US Coast Guard personnel escorted the vessel as part of efforts to curb illicit oil movements tied to sanctioned Venezuelan oil networks.

The operations have also drawn international attention, particularly from Russia, which criticized the Atlantic interception as a violation of maritime norms. Nonetheless, US authorities have maintained that the missions support legal sanctions enforcement and broader efforts to disrupt sanctioned oil flows.

By Vafa Guliyeva