The United States has been carrying out a systematic campaign of seizures of oil tankers linked to Venezuela, Russia, and Iran that operate within the so-called "dark fleet" or "ghost fleet," under the framework of the Southern Spear Operation. By the end of January 2026, at least seven sanctioned tankers had been captured, with an approximate total of 7 million barrels of Venezuelan crude on board. According to reports from U.S. sources, the offensive intensified following subsequent events in the region.
The naval offensive intensified following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026 in Caracas during the "Operation Absolute Resolution," carried out by the U.S. Delta Force with support from the CIA. Below is the complete record of each seized vessel.
El Skipper: the first and the most documented
On December 10, 2025, the U.S. Navy seized the Skipper in open waters off the coast of Venezuela. The vessel was carrying 1.8 million barrels of crude oil from PdVSA and was operating under a false Guyanese flag. Of that cargo, 1.1 million barrels were intended for Cubametales, a Cuban company that has been sanctioned by OFAC since July 2019.
The Skipper had previously been sanctioned by OFAC on November 3, 2022, under the name Adisa, for moving illicit oil. In 2024, the same vessel had delivered 3 million barrels of Iranian oil to Syria. In February 2026, the FBI initiated the final seizure process before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the vessel finances the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran.
Trump described the seizure of the Skipper as "the largest oil tanker ever captured" and a "double blow" against the finances of Maduro's regime and Cuba's energy interests.
El Olina: seized and returned
The Olina was intercepted in a joint operation and subsequently returned to Venezuela. The dossier does not specify the exact date of its capture or the circumstances of its return, but it is listed as part of the sequence of actions in Operation Southern Spear.
The Centuries: intercepted on December 24, 2025
On December 24, 2025, the U.S. intercepted the Centuries. Details about its cargo and flag are not fully documented in the available records, but its capture occurred in the context of the operational escalation in the weeks leading up to Christmas 2025.
La Bella 1/Marinera: the most geopolitically sensitive case
On January 7, 2026, the United States Coast Guard captured the vessel known as Bella 1 near Iceland, which had been renamed Marinera and had painted an improvised Russian flag on its hull to evade capture. The pursuit had begun on December 20, 2025, when the Cutter Munro started to trail it from the Caribbean to the North Atlantic, in a two-week chase.
The vessel was owned by the Turkish company Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises, sanctioned in 2024. According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), the Bella 1 had transported Iranian oil for Hezbollah and the Houthis. Russia protested the seizure, claiming to have granted "temporary authorization" to sail under the Russian flag, and termed it a violation of international law. Following the seizure of the Skipper in December 2025, 21 unflagged vessels adopted Russian flags to seek protection, according to data from the maritime intelligence company Windward.
La Sophia: captured on the same day in the Caribbean
On January 7, 2026, the same day as Bella 1/Marinera, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security seized the Sophia in the Caribbean Sea for illicit activities linked to Venezuela.
The Veronica: second seizure of the same vessel
On January 15, 2026, the Joint Task Force Southern Spear seized the Veronica (IMO: 9256860) in the Caribbean Sea. This marked the second time the U.S. had captured this specific vessel, illustrating the persistence of the operators of the dark fleet in repurposing already identified and sanctioned boats.
La Sagitta: the seventh seizure
On January 20, 2026, the U.S. seized the Sagitta (IMO: 9296822), an Aframax type vessel, in the Caribbean Sea. This was the seventh action of its kind since December 2025, according to confirmations by Military Times and CBS News.
The scheme behind the dark fleet
The "dark fleet" is a group of aging, obscure oil tankers used by Venezuela, Russia, Iran, and Cuba to evade international sanctions. They operate through flag changes, false names, misleading routes, turned-off AIS transponders, and ship-to-ship transfers in open waters. This scheme has been in operation since at least 2021 and connects Venezuela, Iran, and Cuba through these transfers.
Cuba relied on this fleet to receive between 27,000 and 35,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude oil daily, in exchange for doctors and military advisors, managed by the military conglomerate GAESA through shell companies such as Caroil Transport Marine Ltd. (Cyprus, sanctioned in 2019), Trocana World Inc., and Bluelane Overseas (Panama).
The magnitude of the problem that remains to be resolved
Despite the seven seizures, the magnitude of the challenge remains substantial. According to reports from January 2026, there are approximately 17 oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast with around 15.5 million barrels more at risk of seizure. In total, over 30 vessels in Venezuelan waters could be captured under Operation Southern Spear.
The operation has caused a drastic drop in Venezuelan crude oil exports, worsening the energy crisis in Cuba and other allies of chavismo. France also intercepted a tanker from the Russian shadow fleet in January 2026, the Grinch, in the Alboran Sea, and the United Kingdom threatened similar seizures, demonstrating broader Western coordination against these networks.
Trump announced that the U.S. would sell between 30 and 50 million barrels of seized Venezuelan oil "at market price," with funds controlled by the U.S. "for the benefit of the peoples of Venezuela and the United States."
"Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly funding regimes that pose a clear threat to the United States has ended," stated Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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