US seizes Russian-flagged tanker, another tied to Venezuela as Trump widens oil push

By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Marianna Parraga

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, one sailing under Russia's flag, as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela's socialist government to become an ally.

After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a Saturday military raid on Caracas, the U.S. is escalating its blockade of vessels that are under sanctions and going to and from the South American country, a member of the OPEC oil producers group. The White House also said it plans to roll back some of the sanctions Trump placed on Venezuelan oil in 2019 during his first term.

A weeks-long chase across the Atlantic ended on Wednesday morning when the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. military special forces, bearing a judicial seizure warrant, apprehended the Marinera crude oil tanker, which had refused to be boarded last month before switching to Russia's flag, officials said.

The U.S. operation was supported by Britain's Royal Air Force and one of its military vessels, which British Defence Secretary John Healey said was part of "global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting."

With a Russian submarine and vessels nearby, the seizure risked more confrontation with Russia, which has condemned U.S. actions over Venezuela and is already at odds with the West due to the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin did not respond to a request for comment on what is a public holiday in Russia.

"It was a fake Russian oil tanker," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in an interview set to air on Fox News, excerpts of which were provided in advance. "They basically tried to pretend to be a Russian oil tanker in an effort to avoid the sanctions regime."

Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard also intercepted a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, the Panama-flagged M Sophia, near the northeast coast of South America, the U.S. officials said, in the fourth seizure in recent weeks. The tanker was fully loaded, according to records of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA.

U.S. TARGETS 'SHADOW FLEET'

The Marinera, formerly known as the Bella-1, was empty of oil, but the U.S. says it and the M Sophia belong to a "shadow fleet" of tankers used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

"The only maritime energy transport allowed will be that consistent with American law and national security," Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, said in a statement. "There is unlimited economic potential for the Venezuelan energy sector through legitimate and authorized commercial avenues established by the United States."

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the Marinera crew had made "frantic efforts to avoid apprehension" and "failed to obey" Coast Guard orders, and so faces criminal charges.

CHINA DENOUNCES 'BULLYING'

Trump's administration was also pressing for a deal with Venezuela to divert supplies intended for China, Venezuela's top buyer, and gain access to $2 billion worth of crude oil.

"The United States' brazen use of force against Venezuela and its demand for 'America First' when Venezuela disposes of its own oil resources are typical acts of bullying," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters.

Trump has openly spoken of controlling Venezuela's vast oil reserves, in conjunction with U.S. oil companies, after arresting and jailing Maduro, whom he has cast as a drug-trafficking dictator in league with Washington's foes.

Trump said on social media on Wednesday that Venezuela would use the proceeds from its oil deal with the U.S. to buy American products, including farm commodities and medicine.

"In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner," Trump said.

Maduro, 63, pleaded not guilty this week to drug crimes when he appeared in shackles in a federal court in New York.

Maduro's Socialist Party allies remain in power in Venezuela, where Acting President Delcy Rodriguez is treading a fine line between denouncing Maduro's "kidnapping" and kick-starting cooperation with the U.S. under explicit threats of further military violence from Trump.

Rodriguez herself is under U.S. sanctions, with her foreign financial assets identified as potential leverage, one person briefed on U.S. administration thinking said.  

Top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, held classified briefings on Venezuela on Wednesday for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Democrats said they wanted more information.

"They are proposing to steal Venezuela's oil, at gunpoint, and use that leverage, forever, to run the country," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters.

In the Fox interview on "Jesse Watters Primetime," Vance suggested the United States would control the country through its oil reserves.

"We control the energy resources, and we tell the regime, you're allowed to sell the oil so long as you serve America's national interest, you're not allowed to sell it if you can't serve America's national interest," Vance said.

U.S. PLANS TO SELL VENEZUELAN OIL

Trump, a Republican, said on Tuesday that the U.S. would refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of crude oil stuck in Venezuela under U.S. sanctions, a first step in his plan to revive a sector long in decline despite sitting on the world's largest reserves. 

To enable the deal Trump described, the U.S. is "selectively rolling back sanctions" on Venezuelan oil, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.

"We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil," Rubio said. "We're going to sell it in the marketplace, at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting."

PDVSA confirmed it was in negotiations with the U.S. on Wednesday and said terms on the table are based on "strictly commercial transactions under terms that are legal, transparent and beneficial for both parties."

Crude oil prices fell on world markets due to anticipated increased supplies released by Trump's plan.

China, Russia and leftist allies of Venezuela have all denounced the U.S. attack to capture Maduro, in which dozens of Venezuelans were killed. 

Washington's allies are also deeply uneasy at the extraordinary precedent of seizing a foreign head of state, with Trump threatening more action, from Mexico to Greenland, to further U.S. interests.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington and Marianna Parraga in Houston, additional reporting by Reuters bureaus worldwide; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne, Jonathan Allen and James Oliphant; Editing by Scott Malone, Alexandra Hudson, Ros Russell, Rod Nickel)