US seizes Russian oil tanker linked to Venezuela

The United States has seized a Russian‑flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after a weeks‑long pursuit across the Atlantic, officials say.

The vessel, originally known as the Bella 1 and later renamed Marinera, was targeted under a federal court warrant because of its alleged involvement in transporting oil in violation of U.S. sanctions. The tanker had been pursuing efforts to evade a U.S. blockade aimed at sanction‑evading shipments connected to Venezuela.

U.S. forces, including the Coast Guard and military units, tracked the ship for more than two weeks after an initial attempt to seize it near Venezuelan waters was unsuccessful. At one point during the trans‑Atlantic pursuit, the crew is reported to have painted a Russian flag on the hull and re‑registered the vessel under Russian authority in an effort to claim protection. U.S. officials, however, continued to treat the tanker as “stateless” and subject to seizure.

The operation unfolded in the North Atlantic, with the Marinera monitored by U.S. surveillance aircraft as it passed between Ireland and Iceland before being intercepted. Forces boarded the tanker under the federal seizure order.

The tanker had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury since 2024 for its role within a so‑called “shadow fleet” of vessels used to transport crude thought to be connected to sanctioned activities. Its seizure comes amid broader U.S. efforts to disrupt sanction‑evasion strategies involving Venezuelan oil.