A dramatic U.S. military and Coast Guard operation has captured a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after a long Atlantic pursuit, escalating tensions with Moscow and signalling an aggressive enforcement of U.S. sanctions policy.
In a major maritime enforcement action in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Britain, U.S. forces succeeded in seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker after a pursuit lasting more than two weeks. The tanker, originally named Bella 1, altered its course to avoid U.S. naval forces and was later renamed Marinera once registered under the Russian flag. The vessel had been targeted as part of a special military operation aimed at inspecting and confiscating ships on the U.S. sanctions list, after Washington accused it of transporting Venezuelan-linked oil in violation of those sanctions.
Maritime analysts noted that the ship appeared to be sailing toward a Russian Arctic port at the time of capture. The U.S. military and Coast Guard have identified the ship as part of a so-called ghost fleet that moves oil from sanctioned countries, including Venezuela, Russia and Iran.
In a related action, the U.S. Southern Command confirmed the seizure of another vessel, the Sophia, near the Caribbean Sea. Officials described Sophia as a stateless sanctioned dark fleet ship that had recently arrived from or was bound for Venezuela before being taken into U.S. custody. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that both vessels were intercepted under sanctions enforcement operations.
Moscow condemned the tanker seizure as a violation of international maritime law, with a Russian lawmaker calling the U.S. action “outright piracy.” Russian authorities have demanded fair treatment and the return of the crew. Meanwhile, this naval action follows recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela, including the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a controversial raid.
