Tanker Sophia. US seizes another Russian vessel in Caribbean Sea: Footage
Illustrative photo: The US seizes the shadow fleet tanker Sophia in the Caribbean Sea (Getty Images)
In addition to the tanker Marinera in the Atlantic Ocean, the US seized another vessel from Russia’s sanctioned shadow fleet in the Caribbean Sea — the tanker Sophia, according to a statement from the US Southern Command and a post by US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Twitter (X).
On the morning of Wednesday, January 7, the Russia-sanctioned shadow fleet tanker Sophia was seized.
"The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea. The US Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the US for final disposition," the statement said.
Noem wrote that today, the US Coast Guard carried out carefully coordinated boarding operations of two shadow fleet tankers several hours apart.
Both vessels — Bella I and Sophia — had last docked in or were heading to Venezuela.
"The world’s criminals are on notice. You can run, but you can’t hide. We will never relent in our mission to protect the American people and disrupt the funding of narco terrorism wherever we find it, period," she stressed.
Seizure of the tanker Marinera
Earlier, Reuters reported that the US seized an oil tanker linked to Venezuela after more than two weeks of pursuit in the Atlantic Ocean. The captured tanker became the latest target in the US campaign to pressure Venezuela.
The operation began after the vessel, formerly known as Bella-1, broke through the maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers and refused to allow US Coast Guard personnel on board.
Previously, on December 31, the operation to seize the sanctioned oil tanker Bella-1 was suspended after a Russian flag appeared on the vessel.
According to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the ship formerly identified as Bella-1 changed its name to Marinera. Documents indicate it was reflagged under the Russian state flag, with its port of registry in Sochi.
US officials said the operation was conducted by the US Coast Guard with military support. Russian warships, including a submarine, were also present in the area during the operation.
