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After Vanishing From View, Two US-Seized Venezuela Oil Tankers Reappear Near Puerto Rico

23-01-2026
After Vanishing From View, Two US-Seized Venezuela Oil Tankers Reappear Near Puerto Rico photo

PONCE, Puerto Rico/HOUSTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Two oil tankers that were captured by the U.S. this month as part of their actions against Venezuela were spotted near Puerto Rico on Wednesday. This is their first sighting since being seized, which may indicate where they are headed, according to a Reuters witness and data from Tankertrackers.com.

The tankers are the supertanker M Sophia, which was seized on January 7 while carrying Venezuelan oil, and the smaller Galileo, previously named Veronica, which was captured last week while empty but has previously transported Venezuelan oil.

Both the M Sophia and Galileo are part of a group of seven vessels linked to Venezuelan oil exports that have been taken by the U.S. military and Coast Guard in recent weeks, primarily in the Caribbean Sea.

U.S. officials have not revealed the destinations or plans for these seized vessels. The U.S. Coast Guard declined to comment and referred inquiries to the White House, which did not respond immediately.

The exact locations of the M Sophia and Galileo were unknown until Wednesday, as their geolocation beacons were turned off. Confirmation came from Tankertrackers.com and the witness sighting.

It is unclear whether the vessels will stay in Puerto Rico or be moved to another U.S. port. The other five captured tankers are located near the U.S. Gulf Coast, in Venezuelan waters, and near Scotland, according to shipping data.

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the U.S. intervention — including the capture of President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 — is focused on stopping drug trafficking.

Washington aims to influence Venezuela’s government and restore the country’s struggling oil industry by bringing in major U.S. oil companies for rebuilding efforts.

Trump has enacted a blockade to stop sanctioned tankers from exporting Venezuelan oil, which led to a significant drop in exports by December. While shipments have increased in January under U.S. supervision, millions of barrels of oil still remain in storage, both onshore and offshore.