Jan. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. military has seized a seventh tanker transporting oil from Venezuela, as the Trump administration seeks to control the nation's oil exports and revenue.
The tanker, identified as motor vessel Sagitta, was captured by U.S. military forces Tuesday morning, U.S. Southern Command said in a statement, saying the operation was conducted "without incident."
The Sagitta is a U.S. sanctioned vessel, first blacklisted by the United States in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and again on Jan. 10, in an attempt to cut off an important revenue source from the Kremlin.
According to the statement from U.S. Southern Command, the vessel was leaving Venezuela with Venezuelan oil, in "defiance of President [Donald] Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean."
Through #OpSouthernSpear, the @DeptofWar is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG, @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.
