Four tankers that left Venezuela in 'dark mode' return as US eyes the country's oil
Four tankers that left Venezuela in early January with their transponders off, also known as "dark mode," have reportedly returned to the country's waters. The news comes after several U.S....
By Fox News · Fox News
Four tankers that left Venezuela in early January with their transponders off, also known as "dark mode," have reportedly returned to the country's waters. The news comes after several U.S. tanker seizures and amid the Trump administration's push to acquire Venezuelan oil following the arrest of dictator Nicolás Maduro . Most of the four tankers were loaded, according to Reuters , which noted that Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), a state-owned company, and monitoring service TankerTrackers.com had reported the vessels' return. A flotilla of approximately one dozen loaded vessels as well as at least three empty ships left Venezuelan waters last month, despite a U.S. blockade that has been imposed since mid-December, according to Reuters. PRESIDENT TRUMP REDRAWS THE GLOBAL OIL MAP One of the vessels, the supertanker M Sophia, which had the Panamanian flag, was intercepted by the U.S. earlier this week, as was the Olina, which had the flag of Sao Tome And Principe, according to Reuters. The outlet reported, citing PDVSA, that the Olina was released to Venezuela on Friday. The Olina had been seized by U.S. forces in a pre-dawn mission on Friday. The U.S. Southern Command said that Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear worked on the mission in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. "Apprehensions like this are backed by the full power of the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale," the U.S. Southern Command wrote in a post on X . "The Department of War’s Operation Southern Spear is unwavering in its mission to defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere." The Olina, previously named the Minerva M, was sanctioned by the United States for its role in transporting Russian oil, according to The Wall Street Journal . FROM SANCTIONS TO SEIZURE: WHAT MADURO'S CAPTURE MEANS FOR VENEZUELA’S ECONO…