On Tuesday, U.S. military forces boarded and seized the seventh sanctioned oil tanker connected with Venezuela as part of Donald Trump’s efforts to control the South American country’s oil.
According to a social media post by U.S. Southern Command, U.S. military forces seized the Motor Vessel Sagitta “without incident.” It was noted that the oil tanker was operating in defiance of Trump’s “established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”
Through #OpSouthernSpear, the @DeptofWar is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG, @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.
This morning, U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended… pic.twitter.com/UPADtiw681
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 20, 2026
“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,” Southcom wrote in the post.
“These operations are backed by the full power our elite joint force team deployed in the Caribbean,” Southcom added.
As noted by The Hill, the command didn’t say whether the tanker was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard, as has previously been the case. Moreover, the Pentagon did not initially respond to questions asking for more details.
The MV Sagitta is a Liberian-flagged tanker and according to its registration, it is owned and managed by a company in Hong Kong. Reportedly, the oil tanker last transmitted a location over two months ago, while exiting the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. Moreover, the ship was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department under an executive order related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
However, the post on X from U.S. Southern Command revealed the tanker had taken oil from Venezuela. Moreover, it said the tanker’s capture “demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”
In the social media post, the military command shared what seems to be aerial footage of the Sagitta sailing on the ocean. However, unlike previous videos, it did not reveal U.S. forces flying toward the ship in helicopters, or landing on the tanker’s deck.
BREAKING
US military seizes motor vessel Sagitta in the Caribbean
Imagine if Mexico was stealing America vessels left & right, I wonder how Trump would respond to it?
US envoy says purpose of anti-IS alliance with Kurds ‘largely expired’
FYI USA dumps the kurds pic.twitter.com/AkhnJc8IgM
— Lee Golden (@LeeGolden6) January 20, 2026
One X user shared the clip of the MV Sagitta being seized by the US in the Caribbean, noting “Imagine if Mexico was stealing America vessels left & right, I wonder how Trump would respond to it?”
Just hours before the announcement of the seizure of the seventh oil tanker, Trump told reporters that the U.S. has already taken 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela.
“We’ve got millions of barrels of oil left,” he said at the White House. “We’re selling it on the open market. We’re bringing down oil prices incredibly.”
