US war secretary says oil blockade remains in effect after sanctioned tankers seizure

U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil remains in effect worldwide, following confirmation of a U.S. seizure of two sanctioned vessels in the North Atlantic and Caribbean. The remarks were posted on Hegseth’s official X account. 

U.S. European Command said the first vessel, formerly known as the M/V Bella 1, was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro. The Russian-flagged tanker had been pursued since December after evading a partial U.S. blockade near Venezuela. 

After the seizure of the Marinera tanker, formerly Bella 1, for violating U.S. sanctions, Washington confirmed the seizure of a second vessel named M/T Sophia, in the Caribbean Sea. The tankers are part of a sanctions‑evading “shadow fleet” moving oil for Venezuela, Russia, and Iran, and the operation is part of ongoing enforcement of sanctions targeting these oil shipments.

“The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world,” Hegseth wrote on X. 

The statement signals continued U.S. pressure on sanctioned oil networks following the recent operation involving the abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife from Caracas. 

The seizure of the tankers took place amid a broader initiative by the U.S. government to enforce sanctions on vessels that circumvent international restrictions and transport illicit oil.