Images released show members of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) during the interception, boarding, and seizure of the stateless, sanctioned crude oil tanker M/T Sophia in the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela on January 7, 2026. U.S. Southern Command said the vessel was apprehended in international waters as part of efforts to enforce sanctions and is being escorted to the United States for disposition.