The Sagitta is the seventh tanker apprehended in the Caribbean for defying US sanctions, according to military officials
The US has seized another crude tanker in the Caribbean suspected of carrying oil in violation of Venezuela sanctions, American military officials have said.
The seizure comes as US President Donald Trump seeks to tighten control over Venezuela’s oil exports following the January 3 raid during which the South American nation’s president, Nicolas Maduro, was abducted. It is the seventh tanker apprehended in international waters for defying unilateral US sanctions since December.
Among the vessels stopped so far by the US military is the Russian-flagged Marinera, which was seized in the northern Atlantic. Moscow condemned the action as a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this week that Moscow expects Washington to release the Russian crew members of the oil tanker.
On Tuesday, US Southern Command said the seized Sagitta was operating in defiance of “Trump’s established quarantine” claiming that the move was intended to ensure that oil exported from Venezuela “is coordinated properly.”
The press release did not provide the precise location of the tanker or say which flag it was operating under. The release was accompanied by aerial footage that appeared to show troops quickly moving over the tanker’s deck, though no additional operational details have been disclosed.
Reuters reported last week that the US Justice Department had filed a series of largely non‑public civil forfeiture actions in US courts seeking warrants to seize more tankers suspected of evading sanctions and moving oil tied to Venezuela’s exports. The filings, also targeting vessels linked to Iranian and Russian oil, are reportedly part of a wider campaign to assert control over Venezuelan crude shipments.
Shortly after Maduro’s kidnapping, Trump said Washington would “run” Venezuela during a transitional period and needs “total access… to the oil and to other things in their country.” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has stated that Washington intends to control Venezuela’s oil sales “indefinitely.”
The US actions have sparked international condemnation. Russia has called the capture of Maduro a “flagrant violation” of international law and has reaffirmed its solidarity with Venezuela “in the face of blatant neo-colonial threats and external armed aggression,” calling for Maduro’s immediate release.
