Moment US seizes second shadow tanker near Caribbean at SAME time as vessel captured off UK under gaze of Putin sub

THIS is the incredible moment US forces swoop on a second shadow fleet tanker and commandeer the vessel near the Caribbean.

The impressive maritime raid came at the same time as the successful seizure of a rusting oil tanker with links to Russia after a daring two-week chase across the Atlantic.

The sanctioned M/T Sophia was “conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea”, according to the US Southern Command.

Footage shows the moment a military helicopter, believed to be an MH-6 Little Bird, flies low towards the tanker.

As it approaches, the chopper comes in to land on board M/T Sophia as the US forces inside jump out and take over control of the vessel.

The crew onboard gave up without any resistance.

The tanker had no flag painted on it when it was seized, US officials confirmed.

Alongside the daring footage, the US Southern Command said: “In a pre-dawn action this morningthe Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.

“The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.

“The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the U.S. for final disposition.

“Through Operation Southern Spear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere.

“We will defend our Homeland and restore security and strength across the Americas.”

The seamless raid on the oil tanker comes amid Donald Trump’s major crackdown on illegal vessels coming from the Caribbean.

Washington ended a two-week chase for the rusting Marinera tanker this afternoon after seizing the ship and taking it into custody.

Special Forces and military helicopters pounced on the ship as it attempted to make its way home to Russia via the North Atlantic.

Vladimir Putin had scrambled a submarine and naval vessels to try and guard the Marinera tanker as it attempted to evade capture after the declaration of Trump’s Venezuela blockade.

But the Kremlin tyrant’s last-ditch efforts to secure the secretive tanker were thwarted when US troops easily boarded the vessel.

The Department of Homeland Security led the raid with US military support, according to the United States European Command.

Images show the moment a US military chopper approaches the Marinera, formerly called the Bella 1, before landing on board the huge tanker.

The ageing sanctions-busting ship’s last known location places it around 200km south of the Icelandic coast.

The standoff is set to further stoke tensions between the US and Russia following on from the capture of Nicolas Maduro, an ally of Moscow, over the weekend.

Both Marinera and M/T Sophia tankers are accused of being part of a so-called “shadow fleet”, a group of boats that illegally ship oil.

These sanction-evading vessels help circumvent embargoes, allowing “Axis of Evil” dictators such as Maduro and Putin to continue trading.

The maritime raid comes as Washington squeezes Venezuela’s oil lifeline harder than ever.

Since December 16, when Trump imposed a “total and complete blockade” on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, more than a dozen vessels have fled the country in what officials describe as a coordinated breakout attempt.

Sixteen tankers – most of them supertankers bound for China – slipped out using deceptive tactics, including fake ship names, falsified locations and switching off tracking signals to operate in “dark mode”.

Two of these include the pair seized today.

Satellite imagery shows some sailing east in tight formation. Others have vanished entirely from tracking systems.

US officials view the escape as a direct challenge to American power at sea and a test of Trump’s blockade.