EXCLUSIVE-US handing over seized tanker to Venezuela, officials say

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The United States is handing over a tanker to Venezuela that it seized earlier this month, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday, the first known instance where President Donald Trump's administration has returned such a tanker.

The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the tanker that is being handed to Venezuelan authorities was the Panama-flagged supertanker M/T Sophia. They did not say why the tanker was returned.

The U.S. Coast Guard, which leads interdiction and seizure operations, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.