New footage shows moment US Coast Guard storm Venezuela tankers in pre-dawn operation

WorldPolitics
8 Jan 2026 • 7:02 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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New footage shows the US Coast Guard boarding two Venezuela tankers in “back-to-back” operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.

Video released by the White House on Wednesday (7 January) appears to show forces intercepting the oil tanker Marinera between Iceland and Scotland following a two-week pursuit as it headed towards Russia.

US forces said they also seized the M/T Sophia near the northeast coast of South America in a pre-dawn raid.

The operations took place within hours of each other, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

The alleged “ghost fleet” tankers were “either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it”, Noem said.

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