Marinera ship tracker live: Trump risks Putin dispute as US ‘attempts to seize’ banned Venezuelan oil tanker

US forces are also attempting to seize a second tanker linked to Venezuela in Latin American waters, according to the Reuters news agency.

The report, which Reuters says has come from three officials, comes after sources said the US military and Coast Guard is fronting an operation to seize the Marinera vessel despite reports of a Russian escort.

The US is attempting to seize a Venezuelan oil tanker the Marinera following a more than two-week long pursuit across the Atlantic, a US official has told the Reuters news agency.

The official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation is being carried out by the Coast Guard and US military.

The US Coast Guard has continued to trail the Marinera into the Eastern Atlantic, where it is now sailing about 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea, according to the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing AIS positioning.

The tanker has been evading interception since the US Coast Guard attempted to board and seize it in December, following Washington’s blockade of sanctioned oil shipments to and from Venezuela.

It comes after several months of heightened tensions between the countries, during which Trump accused Maduro of being a top-level member of a drug cartel which he claims is trafficking drugs into the US.

Trump has not shared evidence of Maduro’s involvement but has used these allegations to justify his previous lethal military operations against Venezuelan ships.

When asked about his reasons for actions in Venezuela by Fox News presenter Peter Doocy, Trump also cited immigration as the reason. He said: “One of the things it’s about is the fact that they’ve allowed millions of people to come into our country from their prisons, from gangs, from drug dealers, and from mental institutions.”

Venezuela is also rich in oil and rare earth minerals, which serve as extremely valuable commodities. The South American country has $1.36 trillion worth of mineral wealth, according to Maduro.

US officials have said its military may act to intercept the banned Marinera oil tanker as it makes its way northwards across the North Atlantic.

The vessel is one of a number of “shadow fleet” ships used by Venezuela to continue trading oil despite strict US blockades.

Oil is crucial to Venezuela’s economy as it controls the largest known oil reserve in the world, producing around 1 million barrels a day.

Its oil reserves are found primarily in the Orinoco Belt, a region in the country’s east that covers around 55,000 sq km.

The country’s proven reserves are estimated at more than 303 billion barrels, which is the largest reserve worldwide — trumping Saudi Arabia’s 297.7 billion barrels.

US vessels in Latin America are “ready to support” agency partners in the region, according to the southern command.

The command, which oversees US military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, said it was “always ready to serve” in a post on X on Tuesday.

“Always ready to serve: #SOUTHCOM remains ready to support our U.S Government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region,” it wrote.

“Our sea services are vigilant, agile, and postured to track vessels of interest. When the call comes, we will be there.”

President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil that had been stuck in Venezuela under US blockades.

The Associated Press reported that the sale could be worth as much as $2.8 billion with oil trading at about $56 a barrel.

Trump said he will control the money from the sale “to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.”

It comes as a further sign that Washington is coordinating with the Venezuelan government since capturing President Nicolas Maduro.

An RAF spy plane appeared to fly over the path of the Marinera in the North Atlantic on Tuesday evening.

The AF RC-135W Rivet Joint surveillance plane, which left RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire on Tuesday afternoon, can be seen to have flown over the same area of the Atlantic as the Marinera on flight tracking platforms.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The US is the UK’s most important defence and security partner, and the depth of our defence relationship with the US remains an essential part of our security.

“I’m just not going to comment on speculation around operational activity, especially regarding other nations.”