US forces seize Russian tanker in Atlantic

2026-01-07 17:25:54, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United States Navy has captured a Russian tanker from the so-called "shadow fleet" that was fleeing in the North Atlantic on Wednesday.

This is the latest in a series of actions by Washington against ships linked to the illegal Venezuelan oil trade.

The US European Command announced in a statement on social media on Wednesday that the tanker, Marinera, previously named Bella 1, was seized in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Iceland and the United Kingdom.

"The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic on the basis of a warrant issued by a US federal court, after being tracked by the USCGC Munro [US Coast Guard patrol vessel]," the statement said.

Earlier, Russian media had shown footage of a US helicopter hovering near the tanker, amid reports from several media outlets citing sources that an operation involving the ship was underway.

This ship was seized just days after US forces invaded Venezuela and captured its leader, Nicolas Maduro, in a dramatic operation that sent shockwaves around the world.

US forces have already seized two other ships as part of a campaign against Venezuela in recent weeks: the Skipper on December 10 and the Centuries on December 20.

US President Donald Trump declared at the time that he was ordering a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

The Bella-1 was headed from Iran to Venezuela, reportedly to load oil from the US-sanctioned country.

In December, the US Coast Guard attempted to board the ship as it approached Venezuelan waters.

But the ship evaded them and sped away across the Atlantic, renaming itself the Marinera. It was registered in an official Russian shipping register, and crew members painted a Russian flag on its hull.

"The tanker Bella I has been trying to evade the Coast Guard for weeks, even changing its flag and painting a new name on the side of the ship during the pursuit, in a desperate and failed attempt to escape justice," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstje Noem said in a post on the X platform.

Moscow had lodged a formal diplomatic protest demanding that Washington stop pursuing the ship, despite it having been under US sanctions since July 2024.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has stated that the ship was operating "in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law."

According to reports, Moscow had sent a submarine and other naval assets to escort the ship back to Russia.

US officials have also accused the ship of being involved in transporting an illegal cargo for a company owned by Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based group that has been declared a terrorist organisation by the United States.

Shortly after US officials announced the seizure of the Marinera, US Southern Command announced that it had detained another sanctioned tanker in international waters in the Caribbean.

In a separate operation, US Southern Command said it had "intercepted a shadowy, stateless and sanctioned fleet tanker without incident."

"The detained vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and was conducting illegal activities in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the U.S. for final disposition," the statement added./REL