The move raised the risk of friction with Moscow, although there were no signs of confrontation between US and Russian forces.
MIAMI, United States. – The United States Government confiscated this Wednesday the Marinera oil tanker, a ship “with a Russian flag” that Washington links to the transport of Venezuelan crude oil subject to sanctions, in a new escalation of the Donald Trump administration’s offensive to control oil flows in the hemisphere and put pressure on the power apparatus in Caracas, according to Reuters.
The capture of the Marinera occurred four days after the military operation in Caracas in which US special forces captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
According to Reuters, the Marinera was empty when it was intercepted, but Washington maintains that the ship has been used to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil. U.S. officials said the tanker refused boarding last month and then switched to Russian flag, after which it was apprehended by the Coast Guard with support from U.S. military forces.
Reuters also reported that the operation had British backing. UK Defense Secretary John Healey said the involvement of the Royal Air Force and a British military ship was part of “global efforts to crack down on sanctions evasion”.
The maneuver raised the risk of friction with Moscow: international media reported that a Russian submarine and other Russian ships were in the vicinity after a two-week manhunt, although there were no signs of confrontation between US and Russian forces during the boarding.
In parallel, the United States also intercepted another ship. Officials cited by Reuters indicated that the Coast Guard captured the tanker M Sophia off the northeast coast of South Americawith the flag of Panama, which was transporting Venezuelan crude oil and was fully loaded, according to records from the state-run PDVSA. This would be the fourth seizure in recent weeks.
From the White House, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller warned that “the only maritime transportation of energy permitted will be that which is consistent with U.S. law and national security.” In the same message, he maintained that there is “unlimited economic potential” for the Venezuelan energy sector if it follows “legitimate and authorized” routes established by the United States.
On social network X, the United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated that “the blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in full force, anywhere in the world.”
The Russian response was immediate. The Russian Ministry of Transport described the action as contrary to maritime law and declared that, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), “freedom of navigation applies on the high seas, and no State has the right to use force against ships duly registered in the jurisdictions of other States.” Moscow also demanded “humane and decent” treatment for the Russian crew and their prompt return, always according to that source.
Along the same lines, Reuters reported that Russian senator Andrei Klishas described what happened as “blatant piracy” and linked this accusation to the deaths caused during the January 3 operation in Venezuela.
According to the British news agency, the Trump Administration is pushing for an agreement to divert supplies destined for China, the main buyer of Venezuelan crude, and import up to $2 billion in oil. In this context, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, maintained that “the blatant use of force by the United States against Venezuela and its demand for ‘America first’ when Venezuela has its own oil resources are typical acts of harassment.”
