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US planning to release dark fleet tanker
The US was planning to return the Venezuelan-linked oil tanker 'M Sophia', which was seized on Jan 7 by the US Coast Guard and military forces in the Caribbean Sea, to the Venezuelan authorities. The tanker was described as a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet tanker. It was carrying approximately two million barrels of Merey crude oil, which had been loaded in Venezuela, at the time of its capture. The reasons behind the release were actually uknown. The 'M Sophia' was anchored off the coast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, along with the tanker 'Galileo', formerly known as 'Veronica'. Report with photo: https://gcaptain.com/u-s-handing-over-seized-tanker-to-venezuela/
Sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces
On the morning of Jan 7, 2026, the U.S. European Command announced the seizure of the tanker 'Bella 1/Marinera' for “violations of U.S. sanctions”. The U.S. had been pursuing the tanker since December 2025, after it tried to evade a U.S. blockade on sanctioned oil vessels around Venezuela. Then, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, revealed that the U.S. also took control of the 'M Sophia', loaded with approximately two million barrels of Merey crude oil from Venezuela, in the Caribbean Sea by U.S. Southern Command. The ship was identified as a stateless tanker operating within a network of vessels referred to by U.S. officials as the ‘dark fleet’. The 'M Sophia' was previousy flagged in Panama. The owner appeared to be the Maisie Ltd., based c/o the Greetee Co. Ltd. in Yingkou, Liaoning. The vessel was affiliated with the Sunne Co. Ltd., a company sanctioned by the USA on Jan 10, 2025, for activities in the Russian Federation's energy sector. The United Kingdom had imposed sanctions on the vessel since Sep 12, 2025. Canada also imposed sanctions on the vessel in Nov 2025. The tanker was involved in STS transfers at anchorages off the coast of Malaysia and near Qingdao, originating from tankers carrying sanctioned Iranian or Venezuelan oil. It has regularly disabled its AIS transmitter in the past. Both ships were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to the country. The Coast Guard started escorting the 'M Sophia' to the United States for further legal proceedings after the seizure. Report with photo and video: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2026/01/07/video-amerikaanse-leger-eenheden-enteren-tanker-sophia/ https://x.com/i/status/2008905619424620879
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