LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON (AP) — The United States seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back actions in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, officials said Wednesday, and is removing sanctions to enable the shipping and sale of oil from the South American country to markets worldwide. The U.S. had been pursuing the tanker since last month after it tried to evade a U.S. blockade on sanctioned oil vessels around Venezuela. AdvertisementThen, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem revealed that U.S. forces also took control of the tanker Sophia in the Caribbean. AdvertisementSince that raid, officials in Trump’s Republican administration have said that they intend to continue to seize sanctioned vessels connected to the country. “We are enforcing American laws with regards to oil sanctions,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC on Sunday.

Source: Huffington Post January 07, 2026 14:03 UTC