The USA has taken control of another oil tanker linked to Venezuela. This is the seventh tanker to be seized as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to take control of the country’s oil industry and exports.
According to the U.S. Southern Command, the tanker had violated the “quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean” imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The 243 m long, 42 m wide “Sagitta” sails under the Liberian flag and, according to the shipping register, is owned and managed by a Hong Kong-based company. The ship last communicated its position more than two months ago when it left the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.
The tanker is on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list. This is based on an executive order in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to the Southern Command, the “Sagitta” was carrying oil from Venezuela. The detention of the ship shows the USA’s determination to ensure that only “properly and lawfully coordinated” oil leaves the country, the statement continued.
The US military published aerial photographs of the tanker on the open sea. Unlike previous missions, however, no helicopters or landings by US forces can be seen on the deck of the ship.
Since the overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise overnight operation at the beginning of January, the Trump administration has been pursuing the goal of bringing the production, refining and global marketing of Venezuelan oil products under its control. The seizure of tankers is seen as a key instrument for generating revenue to rebuild the country’s ailing oil industry and stabilize the economy.
Almost two weeks ago, Trump held talks with top representatives of the oil industry. They discussed investments of USD 100 billion to modernize Venezuela’s oil production and infrastructure. The USA expected to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil.
Trump recently stated that the USA had already withdrawn 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela. “We still have millions of barrels left,” he said in the White House. “We’re selling it on the open market. That will bring oil prices down significantly.”
The first tanker was seized off the coast of Venezuela on December 10. Most of the other seizures also took place in waters close to the South American country. One exception is the tanker “Bella 1”, which was stopped in the North Atlantic. The ship had abruptly changed course in mid-December and was heading for Europe before it was finally detained on January 7.
