{"id":16728,"date":"2026-01-29T09:59:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roydadnaft.ir\/English\/?p=16728"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:59:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:59:35","slug":"us-handing-over-seized-tanker-to-venezuela-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roydadnaft.ir\/English\/16728\/","title":{"rendered":"US handing over seized tanker to Venezuela, officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"

RoydadNaft – <\/a><\/span>\u00a0The United States is handing over to Venezuela a tanker that it seized this month, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The United States has been carrying out a months-long effort to seize oil tankers linked to Venezuela – carrying out seven apprehensions since late last year.<\/p>\n

The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, identified the vessel being handed over to Venezuelan authorities as the Panama-flagged supertanker M\/T Sophia. They did not say why the tanker was returned.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Coast Guard, which leads interdiction and seizure operations, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

The Venezuelan communications ministry, which handles all press queries for the government, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

The Sophia was carrying oil when it was interdicted on January 7 by the Coast Guard and U.S. military forces. At the time, the administration said the Sophia, which is under sanctions, was a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker.”<\/p>\n

One of the sources did not know if the Sophia still had oil on board.<\/p>\n

Trump has focused his foreign policy in Latin America on Venezuela, initially aiming to push Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. After failing to find a diplomatic solution, Trump ordered U.S. forces to fly into the country to grab him and his wife in a daring overnight raid on January 3.<\/p>\n

Since then, Trump has said the U.S. plans to control Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely as it seeks to rebuild the country’s dilapidated oil industry in a $100 billion plan.<\/p>\n

Earlier this months, the Sophia and another seized tanker were seen near Puerto Rico.<\/div>\n

Along with most tankers under Western sanctions or part of the so-called shadow fleet, many of the Venezuela-linked tankers seized were built over 20 years ago and pose hazards to shipping because they lack safety certification and adequate insurance, experts said.<\/p>\n

That means that if they have a collision or oil spill, establishing insurance claims or liability is very difficult to impossible, shipping and insurance industry sources said.<\/p>\n

Dubai-run GMS has applied for a U.S. license to buy and scrap ships seized by the U.S. government linked to Venezuelan oil trading.<\/p>\n

Updated on