U.S. seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after weekslong pursuit

The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic following a dramatic weeks-long pursuit on the high seas.

The operation to seize the sanctioned vessel, which changed its name from Bella 1 to Marinera after fleeing the US blockade of Venezuela last month, was carried out on Wednesday morning. The United States also announced the seizure of another sanctioned tanker, the M/T Sophia, which it said was “conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.”

The Kremlin, a staunch supporter of ousted President Nicolás Maduro, accused the United States of violating maritime law by seizing the Marinera.

The ship’s efforts to evade authorities were monitored in real time by a fleet of observers and analysts, who also tracked the movement of US military assets to the UK in recent days.

The saga has emerged as a new flashpoint between Washington and Moscow, threatening to undermine the Trump administration’s blockade of the Latin American country following its stunning attack and Maduro’s capture.

The US command in Europe confirmed the seizure of the Marinera for violating US sanctions. “The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court after being spotted by the USCGC Munro,” he said in a post on X.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill that the tankers were seized as part of efforts to “stabilize” Venezuela.

He said Venezuela’s interim authorities “understand that the only way to transport oil, generate revenue and avoid economic collapse is to cooperate and work with the United States.”

U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced on X that the United States had also apprehended the M/T Sophia, “a stateless and sanctioned Black Fleet oil tanker” that it said was “operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.”

Emmanuel Belostrino, an oil market analyst at Kpler, said satellite images and port reports indicate the Sophia was “laden with approximately 2 million barrels of Merey crude oil, loaded from the Jose Oil Terminal (JOT)” in Venezuela. Kpler, which runs ship tracking service MarineTraffic, said the Sophia’s involvement in the sanctioned trade could go back several years.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the operations “two safe and effective boardings within hours of each other.” Noem said the Bella 1 had been trying to evade the Coast Guard for weeks, “even changing its flag and painting a new name on the hull while being pursued, in a desperate and unsuccessful attempt to escape justice.” The “heroic” crew of the USCGC Munro, she added, pursued the ship “across the high seas and through dangerous storms.”

The United States seized two oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela last month as part of its blockade of sanctioned oil shipments to and from the country. The Marinera was one of several sanctioned tankers operating near Venezuela. who recently changed their flag to that of Russia.

Trump said Tuesday that Venezuela would cede 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, with its vast reserves emerging as a key pillar of his plans – and a point of tension with Russia and China.

NBC News reported last month that the Marinera, then known as the Bella 1, had been on the U.S. sanctions list since June 2024.

It was pursued by the U.S. Coast Guard off Venezuela last month, and on Jan. 5 it was off the west coast of Scotland in the North Atlantic, according to data from the ship tracking site MarineTraffic.

The Russian Transport Ministry said in a statement following the tanker’s capture that the Marinera was granted temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag in late December and had lost all communication with the vessel after US forces boarded it on Wednesday.

“The high seas are governed by the principle of freedom of navigation, and no State has the right to use force against vessels duly registered under the jurisdiction of other States,” the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry told the official Tass news agency it was closely monitoring the situation and demanded humane treatment and a “swift return” of Russian citizens on board.

State Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky told Tass the seizure was “unquestionably a violation of maritime law and UN conventions”, while Senator Andrei Klishas, ​​of the Putin-aligned United Russia party, said on Telegram that the US had “turned to outright piracy on the high seas”.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing that Marinera was “considered stateless” after “flying a false flag.” She said the crew would face prosecution under US federal law and “will be brought to the United States for such prosecution if necessary”.

Pressed on whether the seizure would inflame tensions with Russia, Leavitt said Trump had an “open, honest and good” relationship with Vladimir Putin, but said Trump would “enforce our policy that is best for the United States of America, and as it relates to these ship seizures, that means enforcing the embargo against all Dark Fleet ships.”

Russian propaganda channel RT shared what it said was exclusive footage from aboard the tanker on Tuesday evening. It was not specified where or when the footage was filmed.

“Visibility is poor due to fog and a US Coast Guard vessel is visible in the distance,” the caption accompanying the video read, adding that US reconnaissance aircraft were monitoring the vessel.

Flight tracking data shows that 13 Air Force C-17A Globemaster IIIs, a large military transport aircraft, took off from U.S. Air Force bases for the United Kingdom between Saturday and Monday.

When news of the tanker’s seizure broke, flight records showed several U.S. military aircraft near the ship’s last known location.

Two US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft, typically used for maritime patrols, and a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker were recorded flying off the west and north coasts of Scotland. Two C-130J Hercules tactical transport aircraft and three U-28A Draco special operations aircraft were also recorded flying in the area.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Britain had “provided support” to intercept the Marinera, including “pre-planned operational support” and “aerial surveillance support.”

It cites assessments that the ship was “involved in illegal activities, linked to international terrorism and crime, including Hezbollah, and part of the growing network of clandestine activities that fuel and finance nefarious activities around the world.”

But the seized tankers are not the only ones threatening to undermine the American blockade.

At least three other sanctioned tankers that operated near Venezuela in recent weeks have changed their flag to that of Russia, according to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. The ships – the Malak, now renamed Sintez; the Dianchi, now the Expander; and the Veronica, now Galileo, previously sailed under the flags of Comoros and Guyana, according to MarineTraffic.