US forces have seized the Marinera and M Sophia tankers in the Atlantic Ocean, both associated with Venezuela.
The seizures are part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to control oil distribution in the Americas and compel Venezuela to align with US interests, reported Reuters.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The US Coast Guard and military special forces apprehended the Marinera tanker after a pursuit across the Atlantic, enforcing a judicial seizure warrant.
The Marinera, formerly known as Bella-1, had recently switched to a Russian flag. It was intercepted despite the presence of Russian vessels, marking a potential escalation in tensions with Russia.
The US also intercepted the M Sophia, a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, near South America’s north-east coast, the fourth such seizure in the past few weeks.
Records from Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, indicate that the tanker was laden with oil.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe Marinera was empty but allegedly part of a “shadow fleet” transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. The M Sophia is also alleged to be part of this fleet of oil tankers.
US Vice-President JD Vance told Fox News that the Marinera was a fake Russian oil tanker.
Vance said: “They basically tried to pretend to be a Russian oil tanker in an effort to avoid the sanctions regime.”
Meanwhile, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Marinera crew made “frantic efforts to avoid apprehension” and “failed to obey” Coast Guard orders, and are therefore are facing criminal charges.
The White House, according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, plans to reduce certain sanctions on Venezuelan oil to facilitate Trump’s proposal to refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude currently restricted by US sanctions.
The Trump administration has also been pushing for an agreement with Venezuela to redirect supplies originally bound for China, the country’s largest customer. Through these efforts, the US is seeking to secure access to around $2bn worth of crude oil.
Trump has highlighted Venezuela’s oil reserves, suggesting control over these resources could allow the US to dictate the terms of oil sales.
This strategy includes discussions with Venezuela’s current acting government, which remains under pressure following President Nicolas Maduro’s arrest by the US on drug trafficking charges. Maduro has pleaded not guilty in New York.
The situation has drawn sharp criticism from international actors including China, Russia and other allies of Venezuela, who condemned the US capture of Maduro.
PDVSA has confirmed ongoing negotiations with the US based on legal and transparent commercial terms.
However, US oil companies express concerns about investing in Venezuela, citing the unpredictability of Trump’s foreign policy.
Crude oil prices have decreased as markets anticipate increased supply from Trump’s oil plan.
Despite the backlash, the US administration continues to assert its strategy, with senior officials briefing Congress on the developments, said Reuters.
