Flames rise from flare stacks at the Amuay refinery in Los Taques, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)2026-01-20T21:48:13Z WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. military forces boarded and took control of a seventh oil tanker connected with Venezuela on Tuesday as the Trump administration continues its efforts to take control of the South American countrys oil. U.S. Southern Command said in a social media post that U.S. forces apprehended the Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident and that the tanker was operating in defiance of President Donald Trumps established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. The military command did not say whether the U.S. Coast Guard took control of the tanker as has been the case in prior seizures. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to questions for more details.The Sagitta is a Liberian-flagged tanker and its registration says it is owned and managed by a company in Hong Kong. The ship last transmitted its location more than two months ago when exiting the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. The tanker was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department under an executive order related to Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022.The post from U.S. Southern Command, however, indicated the ship had taken oil from Venezuela. It said the capture of the tanker demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully. The military command posted what appeared to be aerial footage of the Sagitta sailing on the ocean, but unlike in prior videos the clip did not show U.S. forces flying toward it in helicopters or landing on the deck of the ship.Trump told reporters just hours before the announcement that the U.S. already has taken 50 million barrels of oil out of Venezuela.Weve got millions of barrels of oil left, he said at the White House. Were selling it on the open market. Were bringing down oil prices incredibly. MICHAEL BIESECKER Biesecker is a global investigative reporter for The Associated Press, based in Washington. He reports on a wide range of topics, including human conflict, climate change and political corruption. twitter instagram mailto