U.S. Seizes Two Venezuela-Linked Oil Tankers in Sanctions Crackdown

The United States has seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela in rapid succession in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, marking a significant escalation in the enforcement of U.S. oil sanctions. American officials confirmed the operations on Wednesday, saying they were aimed at vessels accused of evading restrictions tied to illicit oil trade involving Venezuela.

U.S. European Command announced the seizure of the merchant vessel Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions. The tanker had been under surveillance since last month after allegedly attempting to evade a U.S. blockade targeting sanctioned oil shipments connected to Venezuela. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the military later transferred control of the vessel to law enforcement authorities.

In a separate action, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem revealed that U.S. forces also took control of another tanker, the Sophia, in the Caribbean. In a post on social media, Noem said both ships had either recently docked in Venezuela or were en route to the country, placing them within the scope of U.S. sanctions enforcement.

The Bella 1 had been sanctioned by the United States in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. After the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to board the ship in December, it fled across the Atlantic, later renaming itself Marinera and reflagging to Russia. Open-source maritime tracking data showed the vessel operating between Scotland and Iceland before its seizure, drawing surveillance from U.S. and British aircraft.

The tanker seizures come amid heightened tensions following a recent U.S. military raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s president and his wife. Officials in President Donald Trump’s administration have indicated that enforcement actions against sanctioned Venezuelan assets will continue as part of a broader sanctions strategy.