U.S. seizes two tankers and outlines plan to sell seized Venezuelan oil

The United States on Wednesday seized two oil tankers, including a Russian-flagged vessel, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a plan to sell millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil and control how the proceeds are distributed. U.S. forces said they boarded the Russian-flagged ship, known until recently as the Bella 1 and now called the Marinera, in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland; the vessel was not carrying oil and had eluded U.S.

forces for weeks, the military said. Russia’s Ministry of Transport confirmed that U.S. forces had boarded the ship and said contact with it had been lost. The military also said it had apprehended the M Sophia, described as a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker,” in international waters in the Caribbean; companies that track shipments said the M Sophia was carrying about 1.8 to 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude.

Mr. Rubio outlined a three-step plan for Venezuela that included seizing and selling roughly 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil with the United States, not interim Venezuelan leaders, controlling how the money would be disbursed; ensuring Western companies access to the Venezuelan market; and a third, unspecified “transition” phase involving the integration of opposition parties.

Venezuela’s state oil company said it was negotiating the sale of crude to the United States under commercial frameworks similar to those used with international firms such as Chevron.

Key Topics

World, Venezuela, Marco Rubio, Marinera, M Sophia, Petróleos De Venezuela