US Seizes Second Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker in One Day

On January 7, during a special operation, the Pentagon, together with the US Department of Homeland Security, seized an oil tanker that was part of Venezuela’s so-called shadow fleet.

The vessel was stopped without incident in international waters of the Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said.

The detained tanker, M/T Sophia, is under international sanctions. According to US authorities, it was involved in illegal activities that posed a threat to regional security.

As of 4:04 pm Kyiv time, M/T Sophia was being escorted to the United States, where a final decision will be made on its disposition.

M/T Sophia is a VLCC-class oil tanker, built in 2017 at an Asian shipyard.

It is 336 meters long, 60 meters wide, and has a deadweight of more than 319,000 tonnes. The ship is registered in Greece and was sailing under the Greek flag.

Such tankers are typically built in South Korea or China, where the largest shipyards capable of producing vessels of this size are located. Its dimensions allow it to carry more than 2 million barrels of oil on a single voyage.