This frame grab from a video released by US Southern Command on 7 January shows what US Southern Command says is US military forces interdicting a vessel, M/T Sophia, in the Carribean Sea. S Southern Command/AFP/Getty ImagesThis frame grab from a video released by US Southern Command on 7 January shows what US Southern Command says is US military forces interdicting a vessel, M/T Sophia, in the Carribean Sea. S Southern Command/AFP/Getty ImagesExplainerTrump news at a glance: A tale of two tankers (seized by US)Operations mark latest demonstration of brazen US military power and reach – key US politics stories from 7 January 2026US European Command said on Wednesday that it had boarded the Marinera, a Russian-flagged oil tanker, over alleged sanctions violations, bringing to an end a dramatic two-week pursuit that began in the Caribbean and concluded in the Atlantic. Separately on Wednesday, the US Coast Guard announced it had intercepted another dark-fleet tanker that is under sanctions, the M Sophia, in a pre-dawn operation in the Caribbean. Commenting on the twin operations, the White House signalled it would continue to seize Venezuela-linked oil vessels after Donald Trump last month imposed what he described as a “complete blockade” on ships transporting oil for Caracas. Asked whether the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic risked escalating tensions with Russia, Leavitt did not respond directly, saying the vessel’s crew could be transferred to the US for prosecution “if necessary”. US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in Atlantic after two-week pursuitThe operation is likely to strain relations with Vladimir Putin, coming at a sensitive moment as negotiations over a potential peace deal in Ukraine continue and after the US capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, a longstanding Kremlin ally. Initial reports suggest the ageing tanker is empty, having been en route to pick up Venezuelan oil before changing course.
