ISTANBUL

US forces have seized four oil tankers in less than a month, enforcing a "total and complete blockade" on Venezuelan oil declared by President Donald Trump amid tensions with Caracas.

The most recent seizures occurred on Wednesday, when US authorities announced interception to two vessels.

The Bella 1, which had evaded an initial attempt in the Caribbean weeks earlier, was captured in the North Atlantic by the US Coast Guard Cutter Munro. During the pursuit, the crew attempted to disguise the ship by repainting the hull, renaming it Marinera, and re-flagging it as a Russian vessel.

Simultaneously, US Southern Command intercepted the M Sophia in a pre-dawn Caribbean operation, identifying it as a "stateless" dark fleet tanker engaged in illicit activities.

These actions follow the Dec. 20 seizure of the Panama-flagged supertanker Centuries in the Carribean near Venezuelan shores, which was carrying Venezuelan state crude, and the Dec. 10 capture of the Skipper.

The Skipper, diverted to US for forfeiture, was the first major target of the campaign and had been previously sanctioned for allegedly transporting oil for Iranian interests.

The maritime crackdown comes amid heightened tension between Washington and Caracas. US conducted a military operation in Venezuela on Jan. 3. Widespread airstrikes targeted air defense systems, paving the way for special operations forces to raid Caracas and capture President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were transported to New York, where they pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges during their first hearing.

Venezuela has condemned the vessel seizures as "international piracy," while Washington says the operations are necessary to enforce the blockade against the "dark fleet."