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US Seizes Second Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Sophia in One Day
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On January 7, US forces seized the Russian-operated oil tanker M/T Sophia in the Caribbean Sea, marking the second interdiction of a sanctioned vessel within hours.
The ship was operating under US sanctions and had no national flag. It was intercepted in international waters and is currently being escorted to the United States by the US Coast Guard.
In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 7, 2026
The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and… pic.twitter.com/JQm9gHprPk
According to a statement from the United States Southern Command, Sophia was engaged in illegal activity in the Caribbean when it was detained. The operation was carried out in coordination with the US Department of Homeland Security as part of a broader maritime enforcement campaign in the Western Hemisphere.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed the seizure and another similar operation on the same day. In a post on X, she stated that the US Coast Guard conducted “tightly coordinated boarding operations” on two tankers—Bella I and Sophia—both of which had last been near Venezuela or en route to its ports.
“Criminals of the world, take notice. You can run, but you can’t hide. We will never retreat from our mission to protect the American people and disrupt narcoterrorism wherever we find it,” she wrote.
Video footage released by the US Southern Command shows the boarding of Sophia, which was reportedly sailing without proper registry documentation. The vessel is described as part of Russia’s shadow fleet—a group of tankers used to evade international sanctions through tactics such as operating under false flags, disabling tracking systems, or concealing port call data.
The same day, US authorities also confirmed the capture of Marinera (formerly Bella-1) in the Atlantic Ocean, following a two-week pursuit. According to Reuters, Marinera had resisted inspection by US forces and had been transporting oil in violation of American sanctions on Venezuela. The report also noted the presence of Russian naval assets, including a submarine, near the vessel at the time of the seizure.
The seizures are part of a renewed campaign initiated in December 2025 by President Donald Trump to increase pressure on the Venezuelan government. US officials have characterized these operations as essential to disrupting sanctions evasion networks that support hostile regimes and criminal financing structures.
Earlier, Russia formally asked the United States to stop pursuing an oil tanker that had been fleeing the US Coast Guard across international waters.
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