This morning, U.S. military forces successfully captured the sanctioned tanker Sagitta in the Caribbean, marking the seventh tanker seizure in recent weeks. This operation is part of Washington's effort to crack down on vessels involved in illegal oil trades connected to Venezuela and Russia.
The U.S. Southern Command stated that the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security. "Through #OpSouthernSpear, the Department of Defense is committed to fighting illicit activities in the Western Hemisphere alongside the Coast Guard, Homeland Security, and the Justice Department," the command mentioned in a post on social media.
They further emphasized, "The capture of yet another tanker defying President Trump's established quarantine shows our determination to ensure that only properly coordinated and lawful oil leaves Venezuela." SOUTHCOM reiterated its commitment to the security of the American people and maintaining safety and stability in the region.
According to maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers.com, the Sagitta (IMO 9296822) was involved in Russia's oil exports for three years before being sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on January 10, 2025. Following this, the vessel began exporting fuel oil from Venezuela in August 2025 under what TankerTrackers referred to as a "zombie alias."
Video footage released by SOUTHCOM indicates that the Sagitta is currently empty.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated this tanker as part of Russia's "shadow fleet," which is used to transport Russian crude oil over the G7 $60 price cap, helping Moscow evade sanctions and fund its war in Ukraine. OFAC identified the vessel's owner as Sunne Co Limited, a company that operates in Russia's energy sector and manages several tankers involved in risky and opaque trades.
Data from Equasis shows that the ship was built in 2005 and is registered to Hong Kong-based Camellia Jackson LTD. Its flag status is currently noted as "Not Known" as of January 2024; it was previously registered in Panama.
OFAC cited several important violations, stating that the Sagitta docked at Russian ports where crude was consistently sold above the $60 cap, contravening the G7 mechanism aimed at limiting Kremlin revenue. The vessel was linked to a network of older, often anonymously owned tankers that utilize complex corporate structures, frequent flag changes, and unclear management to disguise Russian oil shipments.
The Sagitta was among ten tankers identified by OFAC as owned by Sunne Co Limited, which was sanctioned for "operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy." All vessels under Sunne's ownership were listed as blocked property under Executive Orders 14024 and 13662. Treasury noted that several vessels in this network have also transported sanctioned Iranian oil, indicating a pattern of repeated sanction violations.
As a result, all U.S. interests in the Sagitta have been frozen, U.S. persons cannot engage in any dealings with the tanker, and non-U.S. parties might face secondary sanctions for providing services such as fueling, insurance, or port access.
This latest seizure aligns with a series of strong enforcement actions taken by U.S. authorities since President Trump announced a "complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela" on December 16, 2025.
Just last week, on January 15, U.S. military and Coast Guard forces captured another sanctioned tanker, the Veronica, during a pre-dawn operation. Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, operating from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), took control of the vessel without incident, supported by the Navy's Amphibious Ready Group, including the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS San Antonio (LPD 17), and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28).
In recent weeks, the military and Coast Guard have seized six vessels in international waters as part of this campaign, which also led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Earlier seizures included the Olina on January 9, the M Sophia and Marinera (formerly Bella 1) on January 7, and the VLCC Skipper and tanker Centuries in December.
The crackdown has faced significant criticism from Russia, which has condemned the operations as "the illegal use of force" and warned of possible retaliation by seizing U.S.-flagged ships.
U.S. Southern Command stated, "These operations are backed by the full strength of our elite joint force team deployed in the Caribbean."