Seven oil vessels turn back in one day due to Caribbean blockade – Pentagon
Photo: US will continue intercepting tankers carrying Venezuelan oil (wikipedia.org)
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said that the United States will intercept all "dark fleet" vessels transporting Venezuelan oil. According to him, "the blockade in the Caribbean Sea remains in full effect—and very effective."
Parnell said that in the past 24 hours alone, at least seven oil vessels have turned around to avoid interdiction.
"The Department of War blockade in the Caribbean Sea remains in full effect—and very effective. In the past 24 hours alone, at least seven 'dark fleet' oil vessels have turned around to avoid interdiction—because they know we mean business," the Pentagon Spokesman wrote.
He claimed that thanks to US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, "the days of letting criminal activity run rampant in our hemisphere are over."
Sean Parnell also announced that ship interceptions would continue and could be carried out at any time.
"The Department of War, alongside our interagency partners, will hunt down and interdict all dark fleet vessels transporting Venezuelan oil at the time and place of our choosing," the Pentagon Spokesman concluded.
Venezuela blockade and tanker seizures
On December 17, US President Donald Trump ordered a full blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers heading to and departing from Venezuelan waters.
Later, on January 3, the US carried out an operation in Venezuela, capturing the country's president Nicolás Maduro.
Trump repeatedly accused the Maduro regime of drug trafficking as well as stealing US oil (US companies had previously operated in Venezuela). However, according to Western media reports, Trump's key interest in Venezuela is focused specifically on oil.
In particular, he recently said that Venezuela's interim authorities would transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned high-quality oil to the United States.
Trump also stated that the US is prepared to sell Venezuelan oil to Russia and China, since by carrying out the operation in Venezuela, the US actually cut off Moscow's and Beijing's access to the country.
At the same time, the US has recently seized several tankers, including vessels from Russia's "dark fleet."
One seizure occurred on January 7, when US forces detained the Russian vessel Bella 1 (now called Marinera). The ship was transporting sanctioned oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
On January 9, the US detained Olina tanker in the Caribbean Sea near Trinidad. According to media reports, this marked the fifth interception of vessels in recent weeks as part of US efforts to control maritime traffic involving tankers linked to Venezuela.
