U.S. seizes two oil tankers tied to 'ghost fleet' in Caribbean

On Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, the United States seized two oil tankers in the Caribbean, one that had evaded U.S. forces for weeks and another carrying up to two million barrels of Venezuelan crude, according to companies that track global oil shipments. Companies Kpler and TankerTrackers.com said both vessels are part of a so-called “ghost fleet” — also called a dark or shadow fleet — that uses deceptive tactics to move oil in violation of sanctions.

The ships often have opaque ownership, paint or broadcast false names, fly false flags, change names and flags repeatedly, turn off or spoof transponders, and transfer oil at sea. One seized vessel, the Marinera, previously known as the Bella 1, drew a federal warrant based on a history of transporting Iranian oil that U.S.

officials said had been sold to finance terrorism; it eluded the U.S. Coast Guard by going dark, changing its name and flying the Russian flag. The other, the M Sophia, was described by the U.S. military as a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker” conducting “illicit activities” and was carrying about 1.8 to 2 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, Kpler and TankerTrackers.com said.

Precise counts of ghost fleet ships are difficult because operators deliberately obscure their identities; experts estimate they may make up as much as 20 percent of oil tankers.

Key Topics

World, Ghost Fleet, Caribbean Sea, Marinera, M Sophia, Venezuelan Crude