Seventh Sanctioned Oil Tanker Related to Venezuela Seized by the U.S.

U.S. forces have seized the seventh sanctioned oil tanker related to Venezuela. The U.S. Southern Command announced that the vessel was seized on Tuesday, January 30, 1404, in the Caribbean Sea, stating that the 'motor vessel Sagitta was detained without incident.' The Southern Command, known as SOUTHCOM, indicated that this oil tanker was 'operating in violation of a quarantine established by President Donald Trump for sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.' SOUTHCOM added that this action 'demonstrates our resolve to ensure that only oil leaving Venezuela is exported legally and in an orderly manner.' In a post shared on the U.S. military's account, an aerial video of the Sagitta moving in the Caribbean Sea was released. Details of the military operation and the future fate of the ship have not been disclosed. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated on Wednesday, February 1, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the U.S. has 'removed fifty million barrels of oil from Venezuela' and added that 'Venezuela will earn more in the next six months than at any time in the last twenty years.' Trump also mentioned in a press conference at the White House on Tuesday that the U.S. has sold millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil in the open market, stating, 'We have remarkably lowered oil prices.' The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department announced that the Sagitta operates under the Panamanian flag and is owned by a company called Sanco Limited, which also owns several other vessels subject to U.S. sanctions. The Treasury Department also noted that the Sagitta is reported to be part of a 'shadow fleet' that transports oil from sanctioned countries, including Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. Since December 20, the U.S. has seized seven oil tankers related to Venezuela; six of these seizures occurred in the Caribbean region, and one in the North Atlantic. The U.S. military has strengthened its presence in the Caribbean Sea. Earlier this month, U.S. forces entered Venezuelan territory and detained Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, and his wife. They have been transferred to New York and are facing charges related to drug trafficking and collaboration with terrorist drug cartels. Maduro and his wife have denied these charges. The Trump administration is urging American oil companies to invest in Venezuela, a country with some of the largest oil reserves in the world. The White House announced last week in response to an email sent to Voice of America that the first sale of Venezuelan oil by the U.S., worth five hundred million dollars, occurred last week. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned this oil tanker under an executive order related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in March 1401. SOUTHCOM stated that this ship had loaded oil from Venezuela and emphasized that its seizure 'demonstrates our resolve to ensure that only oil leaving Venezuela is properly and legally coordinated.' U.S. officials have emphasized that the seizure of oil tankers is seen as a way to secure funding for the reconstruction of Venezuela's damaged oil industry and to improve the country's economy.