The U.S. Department of War (DOW) announced early Jan. 7 that America enforced the blockade on Venezuela by seizing an oil tanker that turned out to be Russian.
Ever since the Trump administration captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and announced the goal of American companies running the country’s oil infrastructure, our enemies have been panicked. Iranian, Russian, and Chinese tankers have tried to disguise their national affiliations and fly different flags as they rush the naval blockade. At least one tanker didn’t make it.
The DOW, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), described the captured vessel (not pictured above) on X as a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.” This was part of Operation Southern Spear to enforce the Monroe Doctrine and keep the Western hemisphere safe and secure.
The DOW post said that the M/T Sophia “was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the U.S. for final disposition.”
The DOW shared footage of the vessel, too:
In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 7, 2026
The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and… pic.twitter.com/JQm9gHprPk
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Hegseth also released a statement. “The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT,” he announced. He subsequently added, “The United States continues to enforce the blockade against all dark fleet vessels illegally transporting Venezuelan oil to finance illicit activity, stealing from the Venezuelan people. Only legitimate and lawful energy commerce—as determined by the U.S.—will be permitted.”
This is excellent. The reason the governments of Russia, Iran, and China were so outraged at Maduro‘s fall is that they wanted the shady oil trade and didn’t want America in charge of the oil. Those dictatorships are all already in a Cold War with the United States, and any way in which we can damage their interests is in our interests. It is especially important that we reinforce our energy capacity while crippling theirs.
Over the weekend, Trump detailed his plans for Venezuela. “We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump stated. “As everyone knows, the oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust for a long period of time. They were pumping almost nothing by comparison to what they could have been pumping, and what could have taken place. We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”
May great success and safety attend our troops serving off the coast of Venezuela.
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