Caracas: The U.S. military has seized a seventh Venezuelan oil tanker, marking a continued effort to enforce sanctions and blockades against Venezuela. This development comes as Venezuela received its first installment payment for oil sales from the United States since the detention of its leader earlier this month.

According to Thai News Agency, the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees a joint force of 10 warships and thousands of personnel in the Caribbean, announced the seizure of the Motor Vessel Sagitta. The operation was completed without resistance and underscores the military's commitment to ensuring that oil exports from Venezuela comply with legal agreements and sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump's administration.

On the financial front, Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodr­guez confirmed that the country has received $300 million as the first payment for oil sales to the United States. This transaction follows an agreement allowing the U.S. to extract 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela after a special forces operation on January 3rd led to the arrest and extradition of President Nicol¡s Maduro and his wife to the U.S. for prosecution. Rodr­guez stated that the payment would be processed through domestic financial institutions to support market stability and protect the economic well-being of Venezuelan citizens.

In parallel, President Trump disclosed that the U.S. has extracted 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela and is already distributing some of it on the free market. Following the capture of the Venezuelan leader, Trump announced a strategy to indefinitely seize Venezuelan oil resources as part of a $100 billion initiative to rejuvenate the country's oil industry.