US seizes second Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Caribbean

The United States military has announced the seizure of a second oil tanker connected to Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea, underscoring an intensifying campaign to enforce sanctions and disrupt illicit oil shipments, US Southern Command stated.

In a pre‑dawn operation, US forces apprehended the vessel, identified as a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker,” in international waters of the Caribbean. The military described the ship as engaged in unlawful activities, BBC reports.

“The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea,” the US military said in its statement.

The operation, conducted by US forces in coordination with the Coast Guard, culminated in the tanker being secured and placed under escort for transport to the United States.

“The US Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the US for final disposition,” the statement said.

This latest seizure follows a broader enforcement effort by Washington targeting oil tankers that US authorities allege are used to circumvent sanctions imposed on Venezuela’s oil sector. Southern Command’s announcement comes amid heightened US military activity in the region, which has included naval deployments and coordinated interdictions of vessels suspected of carrying sanctioned cargoes.

By Vafa Guliyeva