US seizes Russian-flagged tanker, another tied to Venezuela as Trump widens oil push

The United States seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, including one sailing under Russia's flag, as President Donald Trump intensified efforts to control oil flows in the Americas and pressure Venezuela's socialist government to align with Washington.

The move comes days after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid on Caracas on Saturday. Washington is now escalating its blockade of vessels operating under sanctions and traveling to and from Venezuela, a member of the OPEC oil producers' group.

The White House also said it plans to roll back some of the sanctions Trump imposed on Venezuelan oil in 2019 during his first term.

A weeks-long chase across the Atlantic ended on Wednesday morning when the US Coast Guard and US military special forces, acting on a judicial seizure warrant, apprehended the crude oil tanker Marinera. Officials said the vessel had refused to allow boarding last month before switching to Russia's flag.

The operation risked confrontation with Russia, as a Russian submarine and other vessels were reportedly nearby. Moscow, which has condemned US actions over Venezuela and remains at odds with the West over the war in Ukraine, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, citing a public holiday.

"It was a fake Russian oil tanker," US Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News. "They basically tried to pretend to be a Russian oil tanker in an effort to avoid the sanctions regime."

Earlier on Wednesday, the US Coast Guard also intercepted another tanker carrying Venezuelan oil — the Panama-flagged M Sophia — near the northeast coast of South America. US officials said it was the fourth such seizure in recent weeks. Records from Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA show the tanker was fully loaded.

US targets 'shadow fleet'

The Marinera, formerly known as Bella-1, was empty of oil at the time of seizure. However, US authorities said both vessels are part of a so-called "shadow fleet" used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

"The only maritime energy transport allowed will be that consistent with American law and national security," said Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, in a statement.
"There is unlimited economic potential for the Venezuelan energy sector through legitimate and authorised commercial avenues established by the United States."

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Marinera's crew made "frantic efforts to avoid apprehension" and failed to comply with Coast Guard orders, and therefore face criminal charges.

China denounces 'bullying'

The Trump administration is also pushing for a deal with Venezuela to divert oil supplies originally intended for China — Venezuela's largest buyer — and gain access to crude oil worth around $2 billion.

"The United States' brazen use of force against Venezuela and its demand for 'America First' when Venezuela disposes of its own oil resources are typical acts of bullying," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters.

Trump has openly spoken of controlling Venezuela's vast oil reserves in coordination with US oil companies, following the arrest and detention of Maduro, whom he has described as a drug-trafficking dictator allied with Washington's adversaries.

Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said late Wednesday that 100 people were killed during the US attack.

Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that Venezuela would use proceeds from oil deals with the US to purchase American products, including agricultural goods and medicine.

Maduro, 63, pleaded not guilty this week to drug-related charges during a court appearance in New York, where he appeared in shackles.

Despite Maduro's arrest, his Socialist Party allies remain in power in Venezuela. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez is navigating a delicate balance between condemning what she described as Maduro's "kidnapping" and pursuing cooperation with Washington amid explicit threats of further military action from Trump.

Senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, held classified briefings on Venezuela for members of the US Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday. Democratic lawmakers said they were seeking further clarification.

"They are proposing to steal Venezuela's oil at gunpoint and use that leverage indefinitely to run the country," said Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut.

In the Fox News interview, Vance suggested the US would exert control over Venezuela through its energy resources.
"We control the energy resources, and we tell the regime: you're allowed to sell the oil so long as you serve America's national interest," he said. "You're not allowed to sell it if you can't."

US plans to sell Venezuelan oil

Trump said on Tuesday that the United States plans to refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of crude oil currently stranded in Venezuela under US sanctions. The move marks the first step in his broader plan to revive Venezuela's oil sector, despite the country holding the world's largest proven reserves.

To facilitate the plan, the US is "selectively rolling back sanctions" on Venezuelan oil, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.

Rodríguez said later that Venezuela is open to an energy agreement with the United States.
"Venezuela is open to energy relations where all parties benefit," she said during a meeting with the leadership of the country's National Assembly.

PDVSA confirmed it is in negotiations with Washington, adding that discussions are based on "strictly commercial transactions under legal, transparent and mutually beneficial terms."

However, the Financial Times reported that US oil companies remain cautious about investing in Venezuela due to the volatility of Trump's foreign policy, and are seeking "serious guarantees" during a White House meeting scheduled for Friday.

Global crude oil prices fell following expectations of increased supply resulting from Trump's plan.

China, Russia and Venezuela's leftist allies have condemned the US operation to capture Maduro, during which dozens of Venezuelans were killed. US allies have also expressed unease over what they describe as an unprecedented move to seize a sitting foreign head of state, as Trump has threatened further action to advance American interests in regions ranging from Mexico to Greenland.