The Motor Vessel Sagitta was apprehended without incident and was the seventh vessel seized by the United States as part of Homeland Security operations in the Caribbean Sea.
“The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully,” the Southern Command stated.
The command didn’t say whether the U.S. Coast Guard took control of the tanker.
Sagitta had ended her three-year tenure serving Russia’s exports when the tanker was sanctioned by the United States on Jan. 10, 2026.
The Liberian-flagged Sagitta’s registration says it’s owned and managed by a Hong Kong company.
The sanctions were part of a sweeping action taken by the U.S. against Russia’s key sources of revenue for funding its war against Ukraine. The Biden administration sanctioned two major Russian oil producers and a number of oil-carrying vessels, including a “shadow fleet.”
The Southern Command said the U.S. Department of War’s operation was conducted with the Coast Guard and the Homeland Security and Justice departments to crush illegal activity in the region.
“As the joint force operates in the Western Hemisphere, we reaffirm that the security of the American people is paramount, demonstrating our commitment to safety and stability,” the Southern Command stated in the announcement. “These operations are backed by the full power [of] our elite joint force team deployed in the Caribbean.”
The Trump administration has since taken steps to manage the production, refining, and distribution of Venezuela’s oil products.
The proceeds will be controlled by the U.S. government but would benefit the U.S. and Venezuelans, according to Trump.
