US seizes 2 oil tankers linked to Venezuela

President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday sought to assert its control over Venezuelan oil, seizing a pair of sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announcing plans to relax some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide.

Trump’s administration intends to control the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products globally following its ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid, with the Energy Department saying the “only oil transported in and out of Venezuela” will be through approved channels consistent with U.S. law and national security interests. That level of control over the world’s largest proven reserves of crude oil could give the Trump administration a tight hold on oil supplies globally in ways that could enable it to influence prices.

The seizures of the tankers in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea reflect the Republican administration’s determination to enforce an existing oil embargo on Venezuela as Trump has pledged the U.S. will “run” the country.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the oil seized by the U.S. with sanctioned vessels would be sold as part of the deal announced by Trump on Tuesday under which Venezuela would provide up to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S.

“One of those ships that was seized that had oil in the Caribbean, you know what the interim authorities are asking for in Venezuela?” Rubio said. “They want that oil that was seized to be part of this deal. They understand that the only way they can move oil and generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States.”

The press office for Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment on the seizures.

Seizing 2 more vessels

U.S. European Command announced in a social media post the merchant vessel Bella 1 was seized in the North Atlantic for “violations of U.S. sanctions.” The U.S. had been pursuing the tanker since last month after it tried to evade a blockade on sanctioned oil vessels around Venezuela.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem then revealed U.S. forces also took control of the motor tanker M Sophia in the Caribbean Sea. Noem said in a social media post both ships were “either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it.”

The two ships taken over Wednesday join at least two others taken by U.S. forces last month, the Skipper and the Centuries.

The Bella 1 had been cruising across the Atlantic nearing the Caribbean on Dec. 15 when it abruptly turned and headed north, toward Europe. The change in direction came days after the first U.S. tanker seizure of a ship on Dec. 10 after it had left Venezuela carrying a cargo of oil.

The U.S. Coast Guard tried to board the Bella 1 in the Caribbean in December as it headed for Venezuela. Instead, the ship fled across the Atlantic. U.S. European Command said a Coast Guard vessel had tracked the ship “pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court.”

It was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2024 on allegations of smuggling cargo for a company linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.

As the U.S. pursued it, the Bella 1 was renamed Marinera and flagged to Russia, shipping databases show. A U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, also confirmed that the ship’s crew had painted a Russian flag on the side of the hull.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it had information about Russian nationals among the Marinera’s crew.

“Taking into account the incoming information about Russian citizens among the crew, we demand that the American side ensure humane and dignified treatment of them, strictly respect their rights and interests, and not hinder their speedy return to their homeland,” the ministry said in a statement carried by Russia’s state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti.

Separately, senior Russian lawmaker Andrei Klishas decried the U.S. action as “blatant piracy.”

Easing some Venezuela sanctions so US can sell its oil

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is “selectively” removing sanctions to enable the shipping and sale of Venezuelan oil to markets worldwide, according to an outline of the policies published Wednesday by the Energy Department.

The oil sales are slated to begin immediately with the sale of 30 million to 50 million barrels from the South American country. The U.S. government said the sales “will continue indefinitely,” with the proceeds settling in U.S.-controlled accounts at “globally recognized banks.” The money would be disbursed to the U.S. and Venezuelan populations at the “discretion” of Trump’s government.

The U.S. plans to authorize the importation of oil field equipment, parts and services to increase Venezuela’s oil production, which has been roughly 1 million barrels a day. The Trump administration has indicated it also will invest in Venezuela’s electricity grid to increase production and the quality of life for people in Venezuela, whose economy has been unraveling amid changes to foreign aid and cuts to state subsidies, making necessities, including food, unaffordable to millions.

The seizure in the North Atlantic

Earlier Wednesday, open-source maritime tracking sites showed the position of the now-named Marinera as between Scotland and Iceland, traveling north.

Flight tracking websites showed several U-28A U.S. special operations aircraft landing at Wick John O’Groats airport on the northern tip of Scotland, before flying further north toward Iceland. P8 Poseidon submarine-hunting aircraft and KC-135 refueling planes were also seen on tracking websites and heading to the area near the tanker.

After the seizure, the U.K. defense ministry said Britain’s military provided support, including surveillance aircraft and a support ship, for the operation. It said the “enabling support” — including the use of U.K. bases — was “in full compliance with international law.”

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said the action was part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions-busting.

“This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fueling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine,” he said. “The U.K. will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability — making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”

The capture of the second tanker announced Wednesday was much less prolonged. A ship named M Sophia is on the U.S. sanctions list for moving illicit cargos of oil from Russia.

The ship is “running dark,” not having transmitted location data since July. Tankers involved in smuggling often turn off their transponders or broadcast inaccurate data to hide their locations.

Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16 tankers had left the Venezuelan coast since Saturday, after the U.S. captured Maduro.

The M Sophia is among those ships, Madani said, citing a recent photo showing it in the waters near Jose Terminal, Venezuela’s main oil export hub.

Windward, a maritime intelligence firm that tracks such vessels, said in a briefing to reporters the M Sophia loaded at the terminal on Dec. 26 and was carrying about 1.8 million barrels of crude oil — a cargo that would be worth about $108 million at current price of about $60 a barrel.

Lawless reported from London.

周三，唐纳德·特朗普总统的政府试图加强对委内瑞拉石油的控制，扣押了两艘受制裁的运载石油的油轮，并宣布计划放松一些制裁，以便美国能够监督委内瑞拉石油在全球的销售。

在突袭推翻委内瑞拉总统尼古拉斯·马杜罗后，特朗普政府计划控制委内瑞拉石油产品的全球分销。美国能源部表示，“唯一进出委内瑞拉的石油”将通过符合美国法律和国家安全利益的指定渠道进行。对全球最大已探明原油储量的这种控制，可能使特朗普政府牢牢掌控全球石油供应，从而影响油价。

在北大西洋和加勒比海扣押油轮的行动反映了共和党政府决心对委内瑞拉实施现有的石油禁运，因为特朗普曾承诺美国将“统治”该国。

国务卿马可·卢比奥在国会山对记者表示，美国利用受制裁船只查获的石油将作为特朗普周二宣布的协议的一部分出售，根据该协议，委内瑞拉将向美国提供至多5000万桶石油。

“你知道委内瑞拉临时当局要求什么吗？就是加勒比海被扣押的那艘载有石油的船。”鲁比奥说，“他们想把被扣押的石油也纳入这笔交易。他们明白，要想运输石油、创造收入，避免经济崩溃，唯一的办法就是与美国合作。”

委内瑞拉政府新闻办公室尚未回复美联社关于此次扣押事件的置评请求。

扣押另外两艘船只

美国欧洲司令部在社交媒体上宣布，商船“贝拉1号”因“违反美国制裁”在北大西洋被扣押。此前，该油轮试图规避美国对委内瑞拉附近海域受制裁油轮的封锁，美国自上个月起便开始追捕该船。

国土安全部长克里斯蒂·诺姆随后透露，美军还在加勒比海控制了“索菲亚”号油轮。诺姆在社交媒体上发帖称，这两艘船“要么最后一次停靠在委内瑞拉，要么正在前往委内瑞拉的途中”。

周三被扣押的两艘舰艇，加上上个月被美军扣押的至少两艘舰艇——“船长”号和“世纪”号——共计两艘。

12月15日，贝拉1号货轮正在横渡大西洋，接近加勒比海时突然转向北方，驶向欧洲。几天前，12月10日，美国首次扣押了一艘油轮，该油轮当时载有石油，刚刚离开委内瑞拉。

去年12月，美国海岸警卫队试图在加勒比海登船检查驶往委内瑞拉的“贝拉1号”货轮。但该船逃往大西洋彼岸。美国欧洲司令部表示，海岸警卫队的一艘船只“根据美国联邦法院签发的搜查令”追踪到了这艘船。

2024年，该公司因涉嫌为与黎巴嫩真主党（伊朗支持的武装组织）有关联的公司走私货物而受到美国的制裁。

据航运数据库显示，在美国的追捕下，“贝拉1号”被更名为“马里内拉号”，并悬挂俄罗斯国旗。一位因涉及敏感军事行动而要求匿名的美国官员也证实，该船船员在船体侧面喷涂了俄罗斯国旗。

俄罗斯外交部周三表示，他们掌握了有关“马里内拉”号邮轮船员中有俄罗斯公民的信息。

“考虑到有关船员中有俄罗斯公民的消息，我们要求美方确保对他们进行人道和有尊严的待遇，严格尊重他们的权利和利益，不要阻碍他们尽快返回祖国，”俄罗斯外交部在一份声明中表示，该声明由俄罗斯国家通讯社塔斯社和俄新社发布。

另外，俄罗斯高级议员安德烈·克利沙斯谴责美国的行为是“公然的盗版”。

放松对委内瑞拉的部分制裁，以便美国能够出售其石油。

与此同时，根据美国能源部周三发布的政策概要，特朗普政府正在“有选择地”取消制裁，以允许委内瑞拉石油运往世界各地市场并进行销售。

石油销售计划立即启动，首批将从这个南美国家出售3000万至5000万桶石油。美国政府表示，销售“将无限期持续进行”，所得款项将存入美国控制的“全球公认银行”账户。这些资金将由特朗普政府“酌情”分配给美国和委内瑞拉民众。

美国计划授权进口油田设备、零部件和服务，以提高委内瑞拉的石油产量。委内瑞拉目前的石油日产量约为100万桶。特朗普政府还表示，将投资委内瑞拉的电网，以提高电力产量，改善委内瑞拉人民的生活质量。由于外国援助政策的变化和国家补贴的削减，委内瑞拉的经济正面临崩溃，导致数百万人连食品等必需品都难以负担。

北大西洋的扣押

周三早些时候，开源海事跟踪网站显示，这艘现已命名为“马里内拉号”的船只位于苏格兰和冰岛之间，正向北航行。

航班追踪网站显示，数架美国U-28A特种作战飞机降落在苏格兰最北端的威克约翰奥格罗茨机场，之后继续向北飞往冰岛。追踪网站还显示，P-8“海神”反潜巡逻机和KC-135加油机也正飞往油轮附近区域。

扣押行动后，英国国防部表示，英国军方为此次行动提供了支持，包括侦察机和支援舰艇。国防部称，这些“协助支持”（包括使用英国军事基地）“完全符合国际法”。

英国国防大臣约翰·希利表示，此举是全球打击违反制裁行为努力的一部分。

他说：“这艘船劣迹斑斑，是俄伊规避制裁轴心的一部分，助长了从中东到乌克兰的恐怖主义、冲突和苦难。英国将继续加大打击影子舰队活动的力度，以保护我们的国家安全、经济和全球稳定，确保英国在国内安全，在国际上强大。”

周三宣布的第二艘油轮被扣押事件持续时间要短得多。这艘名为“M Sophia”号的油轮因从俄罗斯非法运输石油而被列入美国制裁名单。

这艘船处于“隐身”状态，自7月以来就没有发送过位置数据。参与走私的油轮通常会关闭应答器或广播不准确的数据来隐藏其位置。

TankerTrackers.com 的联合创始人萨米尔·马达尼表示，他的组织利用卫星图像和地面照片记录了自美国周六抓获马杜罗以来，至少有 16 艘油轮离开了委内瑞拉海岸。

马达尼说，M Sophia号就是这些船只之一，并引用了一张最近的照片，照片显示该船出现在委内瑞拉主要石油出口中心何塞码头附近的水域。

追踪此类船舶的海事情报公司 Windward 在向记者通报情况时表示，“M Sophia”号于 12 月 26 日在码头装载了约 180 万桶原油——按目前每桶约 60 美元的价格计算，这批货物价值约 1.08 亿美元。

劳利斯从伦敦报道。