- - U.S. forces seize sixth Venezuela-linked oil tanker

Jennifer JacobsJanuary 15, 2026 at 8:36 PM

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U.S. forces seized a sixth oil tanker Thursday in an early morning operation, according to U.S. Southern Command.

The tanker was seized as part of a quarantine on sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela.

"In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident," U.S. Southern Command said in a post on X.

"The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again," it said.

"The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully," it added.

Through #OpSouthernSpear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG through @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear,… pic.twitter.com/brxO9xXUu3

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 15, 2026

Newsmax and Reuters were first to report the seizure, which comes as President Trump is set to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado Thursday at the White House.

Last week, the U.S. seized three tankers with links to Venezuela, including the Marinera. That tanker, formerly known as Bella-1, was sailing under the Russian flag and was seized in the North Atlantic. The Olina and the Sophia were seized in the Caribbean.

Ships like the Marinera are part of a so-called shadow fleet of ships that illegally transport oil from sanctioned nations like Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

The latest seizures come after the U.S. captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a surprise overnight operation, and as the U.S. more broadly works to take control of Venezuela's oil.

The first U.S. sale of Venezuelan oil, valued at $500 million, has been completed, an administration official said earlier this week, and more sales are expected in the coming days and weeks.

The White House has presented a strategy to sell millions of barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil and control the proceeds.

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