U.S. to hand over seized tanker to Venezuela, officials say

U.S. to hand over seized tanker to Venezuela, officials say
Oil tankers Galileo, previously known as the Veronica, and M Sophia, which were seized by the United States, are anchored off the coast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, January 21, 2026.
Reuters

The United States is handing over a tanker to Venezuela that it seized earlier this month, according to two U.S. officials, marking the first known case of Donald Trump’s administration returning such a vessel, Reuters reported.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the tanker being transferred to Venezuelan authorities is the Panama-flagged supertanker M/T Sophia. They did not give a reason for the decision.

The U.S. Coast Guard, which leads interdiction and seizure operations, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move comes as Washington continues enforcement actions against vessels linked to Venezuelan oil exports under U.S. sanctions. In recent weeks, U.S. forces have seized several tankers suspected of transporting Venezuelan crude in violation of those sanctions.

Two previously seized Venezuela-linked tankers, including M/T Sophia, were recently seen anchored near Puerto Rico after disappearing from tracking systems, highlighting the scale of U.S. maritime operations targeting what officials describe as a “shadow fleet” moving sanctioned oil.

The United States has imposed energy sanctions on Venezuela since 2019, with the aim of restricting oil exports and pressuring Caracas over governance and security concerns.

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