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//The Wire//2300Z January 7, 2026//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: CIVIL UNREST DEVELOPING IN MINNEAPOLIS FOLLOWING ICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING. TANKER WAR CONTINUES AS UNITED STATES CAPTURES TWO TANKERS IN ATLANTIC.//

-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Atlantic Ocean: This morning the United States seized two oil tankers at the center of the efforts to disrupt the Venezuelan oil trade and halt the flow of crude out of the country. The M/T *SOPHIA* and the M/T *BELLA 1* were boarded and seized this morning, and the US Coast Guard is currently escorting both vessels back to American ports.

Analyst Comment: As a reminder the *BELLA 1* is the same tanker that tried to run the blockade to seek safety in Venezuela two weeks ago. The *SOFIA* is also known as the "*M SOPHIA*" with International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9289477. There is another supertanker with the same name flagged out of Greece, but the vessel that was seized this morning is the ghost-fleet tanker that has been riding dirty with no registration for several years.

-HomeFront-

Minnesota: A general state of unrest has been building throughout Minneapolis on several fronts. As independent journalists and content streamers alike have descended on the city to expose the Somali fraud, various assaults have been reported.

Analyst Comment: It's only a matter of time before an independent journalist gets killed or seriously wounded. Somali communities are rallying together, and they are more than willing to use violence to protect the billions of dollars that have been stolen.

This morning a small riot was also reported in Minneapolis following an ICE-involved shooting at the corner of Portland Avenue and E 34th Street. The shooting took place after a woman attempted to use her vehicle to ram an ICE agent, who shot and killed her, ending the incident.

Analyst Comment: This shooting was highly documented by the ANTIFA activists that were already at the shooting location before it took place. One video wasn't really clear due to the angle it was taken from, however another video taken by a homeowner confirms that the woman rammed the agent with her car before the first shot was fired. But right now the truth is a moot point as demonstrators have already gathered at City Hall to protest the incident. Mayor Frey has already ordered ICE to leave the city, which they are not going to do, but this statement sets conditions for amplifying tensions even further on the political front.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: Regarding the capture of the tankers in the North Atlantic, more context might help understand how this saga has developed.

Two weeks ago, the *BELLA 1* was bound for Venezuela, to take on a cargo of crude oil eventually destined from Iran. Due to American operations in the Caribbean Sea, many illicit oil tankers were caught in limbo, weighing the decision of what to do. The *BELLA 1* was originally inbound to Venezuela when the American blockade formed, and her crew originally decided to run the blockade, before the US Coast Guard began shadowing her and initially tried to board her. This initial boarding operation was called off due to safety reasons as her crew was conducting erratic movements to attempt to prevent a boarding. At this point, the Coast Guard backed off and continued to shadow her, waiting for more substantial military resources to arrive on scene. From there, the *BELLA 1* abandoned her goal of running the blockade, and attempted to make a run for it, generally sailing away from Venezuela and changing her name mid-cruise to *MARINERA*. After a few days, the crew onboard came up with the plan to appeal to the other superpower in the region...Russia. The crew started painting Russian flags on the hull, and began flying the flag of Russia in an attempt to bring Russia into the mix, and hopefully deter an American boarding. This effort did not work, as the vessel was boarded and seized this morning, despite Russian naval presence and the Kremlin stating that they had positioned a submarine to "protect" the supertanker.

Back in Venezuela, the capture of Maduro also put a damper on the fate of several other tankers which were in a similar boat, trying to figure out what to do. Shortly after Maduro was snatched, several tankers that were seeking safety in Venezuelan harbors made their decision, and decided to make a run for it. Departing the country with their AIS transponders spoofing their position to be elsewhere, several tankers departed port, some of which decided to copy the *BELLA 1*'s trick...by claiming to be Russian ships. The M/T *VERONICA III*, M/T *VESNA*, M/T *BERTHA* and the M/T *AQUILA II* all departed port immediately after the Maduro raid, and are all steaming toward Russia in a convoy. Roughly a dozen other tankers have been observed using similar tactics to cut ties with Venezuela, or sneak out of port under a falsified registration. Separately, the M/T *SOPHIA* also departed port at some point and was seized this morning. Not much is known about the *SOPHIA* however it's very likely that she was trying to escape in a similar fashion as well, as she appeared to be headed to China before she turned her transponder off and went dark.

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