US Intensifies Enforcement Against Illicit Maritime Activity Linked to Venezuelan Oil

The US has carried out two separate interdiction operations against sanctioned oil tankers on January 7, 2026, seizing one vessel in the North Atlantic and apprehending another in the Caribbean Sea. The seizures were conducted by the US Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Department of Defense. According to US officials, the blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in full effect. AeroTime has reported that Russia may have deployed naval assets to escort one of the vessels, but these claims have not been independently confirmed.