U.S. forces seize seventh sanctioned tanker linked to Venezuela in Trump's effort to control its oil

U.S. subject forces boarded and took power of a seventh lipid tanker connected with Venezuela connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) arsenic the Trump medication continues its efforts to instrumentality power of the South American country's oil.

U.S. Southern Command said successful a societal media station that U.S. forces apprehended the Motor Vessel Sagitta “without incident” and that the tanker was operating successful defiance of President Donald Trump's "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels successful the Caribbean”.

The subject bid did not accidental whether the U.S. Coast Guard took power of the tanker arsenic has been the lawsuit successful anterior seizures. The Pentagon did not instantly respond to questions for much details.

The Sagitta is simply a Liberian-flagged tanker and its registration says it is owned and managed by a institution successful Hong Kong. The vessel past transmitted its determination much than 2 months agone erstwhile exiting the Baltic Sea successful bluish Europe.

The tanker was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department nether an enforcement bid related to Russia's penetration of Ukraine successful 2022.

The station from U.S. Southern Command, however, indicated the vessel had taken lipid from Venezuela. It said the seizure of the tanker “demonstrates our resoluteness to guarantee that the lone lipid leaving Venezuela volition beryllium lipid that is coordinated decently and lawfully”.

The subject bid posted what appeared to beryllium aerial footage of the Sagitta sailing connected the ocean, but dissimilar successful anterior videos the clip did not amusement U.S. forces flying toward it successful helicopters oregon landing connected the platform of the ship.

Mr. Trump told reporters conscionable hours earlier the announcement that the U.S. has already taken 50 cardinal barrels of lipid retired of Venezuela.

“We've got millions of barrels of lipid left," helium said astatine the White House. “We're selling it connected the unfastened market. We're bringing down lipid prices incredibly.”