The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long chase that pulled in Russian naval assets and was carried out with Britain’s knowledge and support. The move has triggered a sharp rebuke from Moscow, with Russia’s Transport Ministry saying that “no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in other states’ jurisdictions.”
U.S. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller insisted that only maritime energy transport that complies with American law and national security interests would be allowed to operate.
The vessel, first known as the Bella 1 and now registered as the Marinera, was taken under U.S. control on Wednesday under a federal court warrant alleging violations of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. European Command said in a post on X.
According to U.S. officials, the operation was carried out jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. military, with British cooperation playing a significant role. British airbases were reportedly used to launch the mission, and Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft tracked the tanker as it moved through waters between Iceland and the United Kingdom.
U.S. sources told Reuters that the tanker was tracked across the Atlantic after it evaded a U.S. maritime “blockade,” ignored multiple boarding requests from the Coast Guard, and changed its flag and registration in an effort to avoid interception. Russian warships, including a submarine, were reported to have shadowed the vessel during the pursuit, although it is unclear how close they were when the seizure took place near Iceland.
This rare interception of a Russian-flagged commercial ship linked to sanctions violations comes amid Washington’s intensified campaign to enforce sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports. The tanker had earlier resisted boarding attempts near Venezuela and then crossed the Atlantic before being intercepted.
The seizure follows a dramatic series of U.S. actions targeting Venezuela, including a military operation in Caracas in early January that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to the United States to face prosecution on charges that include alleged drug trafficking. Several Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel were reported killed during that raid.
The U.S. Coast Guard has also intercepted other Venezuela-linked tankers in recent weeks as part of its efforts to disrupt what officials call a “shadow fleet” of vessels attempting to circumvent sanctions.
Russia’s condemnation of the tanker seizure, which it calls illegal and tantamount to piracy, risks further straining ties between Moscow and Washington as both nations spar over sanctions enforcement and maritime law.