Professor Jiang

Why would, sir, why would the US try and stop Russian boats?

Yes, the United States has indeed been seizing tankers linked to Russia.

A major escalation occurred earlier this year on January 7th, 2026, when the US military and Coast Guard intercepted two sanctioned Shadow Fleet oil tankers.

While one was seized directly in the Caribbean, the other involved a dramatic chase that started in the Caribbean and ended in the North Atlantic.

US forces captured this sanctioned tanker during a pre-dawn raid directly in the Caribbean Sea.

The US military described it as a stateless sanctioned dark fleet vessel which was engaged in illicit activities.

These seizures are part of Operation Southern Spear, a strict enforcement of the US embargo on Venezuelan oil exports.

Both vessels were targeted for violating US sanctions by transporting illicit crude oil linked to Venezuela

as well as Iran and Hezbollah.

So those were ships that didn't have a country linked to them directly.

Okay.

But they were essentially shipping oil outside of the United States that the United States wouldn't control.

Is that kind of... That is correct, yes.

Yes.

So the US said, listen, this is our real get lost.

So at some point, you think the way that the war starts is the US Navy attacks a Russian boat, right?

So what do you think the catalyst moment is when this all kicks off?

You think that's going to happen?

And you're predicting that Russia will get involved here?

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