US military forces seize seventh sanctioned tanker linked to Venezuela

US military forces have boarded and taken control of a seventh oil tanker linked to Venezuela , stepping up enforcement of sanctions as the Trump administration seeks to curb unauthorised Venezuelan oil exports and influence global energy markets.The military command released aerial footage of the Sagitta sailing at sea, though unlike earlier incidents, the video did not show helicopters or US forces landing on the vessel.

The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said on Tuesday that American forces apprehended the Liberian-flagged Motor Vessel Sagitta “without incident” for operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s “established quarantine of sanctioned vessels” in the Caribbean. The command did not specify whether the US Coast Guard carried out the boarding, while the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for details.SOUTHCOM plays a central operational role , overseeing maritime surveillance and coordinating tanker interceptions, often in conjunction with the US Coast Guard.

According to registration records, the Sagitta is owned and managed by a Hong Kong-based company . The tanker last transmitted its location more than two months ago while exiting the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It had been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department under an executive order linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 .

Despite that, US Southern Command said the vessel had taken oil from Venezuela , describing the seizure as part of a broader effort to prevent sanctions evasion . The command said the operation demonstrated Washington’s resolve to ensure that “the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”

The seizure is the latest in a series of interdictions since December, as the Trump administration has moved beyond financial penalties to physically intercept tankers it says are involved in unauthorized Venezuelan oil shipments.

President Trump linked the seizures to energy-market objectives , saying the US has already taken about 50 million barrels of oil out of Venezuela and is selling it on the open market to bring down oil prices .