U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident this morning in the Caribbean to enforce President Donald Trump's quarantine of sanctioned vessels, according to a statement from U.S. Southern Command posted over the past hour. The operation, part of #OpSouthernSpear, partners with the U.S. Coast Guard, DHS and the Justice Department to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere and ensure only properly coordinated Venezuelan oil leaves ports lawfully, U.S. Southern Command stated. The action demonstrates resolve backed by elite joint forces including the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps deployed in the Caribbean. This apprehension follows recent U.S. authorizations allowing traders like Vitol Group to export Venezuelan crude under a Trump administration deal, as reported by Bloomberg earlier today, and White House documentation listing achievements such as sanctions on Venezuela's shadow oil fleet.
