In a continued escalation of its military campaign targeting Venezuela’s petroleum resources, United States forces have intercepted and seized a seventh oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The operation against the Liberian-flagged MV Sagitta occurred Tuesday morning without incident, according to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
This seizure represents the latest development in President Donald Trump’s quarantine initiative against sanctioned vessels transporting Venezuelan oil. The Sagitta, owned and managed by a Chinese company, becomes at least the second Chinese-operated tanker apprehended since the US administration announced its blockade policy last month.
SOUTHCOM officials defended the action, stating: “The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”
The US Department of Justice has previously indicted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on multiple charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and weapons-related violations. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to all charges and declared himself a “prisoner of war.”
International response to these actions has grown increasingly critical, with regional and world leaders condemning the seizures as acts of piracy. Legal experts contend that the blockade, sanctions, and military operations—which have reportedly resulted in over 120 casualties—violate international law. These operations have included strikes on vessels allegedly transporting drugs, bombing campaigns, invasion attempts, and the attempted kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.