The United States military has commandeered a Russian-flagged oil tanker with links to Venezuela in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit.
The US military’s European Command said the Marinera oil tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, was seized on Wednesday “for violations of US sanctions”.
“The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT – anywhere in the world,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media.
The operation came after the Marinera slipped through a US maritime “blockade” of sanctioned tankers going to and from Venezuela and rebuffed US Coast Guard efforts to board it.
American officials have said the tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that has carried oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in violation of US sanctions.
Two unnamed US officials earlier told the Reuters news agency that Wednesday’s operation was carried out by the US Coast Guard and military.
Russian state broadcaster RT reported US forces boarded the Marinera from a helicopter, and it published an image of the aircraft hovering near the ship.
RT cited an unnamed source as saying a US Coast Guard vessel has been following the tanker and an attempt to seize it during a storm had already been carried out.
US forces have been pursuing the Marinera in the Atlantic Ocean since last month in the lead-up to the country’s military operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which was carried out on Saturday.
The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar today announced the seizure of
— U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) January 7, 2026
the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro. pic.twitter.com/bm5KcCK30X
‘Cat-and-mouse game’
Tracking data from MarineTraffic had shown the tanker nearing Iceland’s exclusive economic zone on Wednesday.
Reuters said a Russian submarine and warship were in the vicinity as the operation unfolded, but there were no indications of any confrontation between US and Russian forces.
Reporting from Moscow, journalist Dmitry Medvedenko said there had been at least two attempts in the past weeks of “this cat-and-mouse game to seize this tanker”.
The Russian government has not confirmed whether it sent any vessels or submarines to accompany the Marinera, Medvedenko said.
“The Russian foreign ministry only said that it’s monitoring the situation and it’s been calling this pursuit disproportionate.”
The ministry was cited by state media as saying the ship, which is now flying the Russian flag, is in international waters and acting according to international maritime law.
It called on Western countries to respect the vessel’s right to freedom of navigation.
“For reasons unclear to us, the Russian vessel is receiving heightened attention from the US and NATO militaries – attention that is clearly disproportionate to its peaceful status,” the ministry said.
The ship was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
The US Coast Guard tried to board it in the Caribbean in December as it headed for Venezuela. The ship refused boarding and headed across the Atlantic.
Wednesday’s seizure was the latest in US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela.
After capturing Maduro on Saturday, Trump said his government would “run” the South American country and develop its vast oil reserves. On Tuesday, the US leader also said Venezuela would hand over 30 million to 50 billion barrels of sanctioned oil to the US.
US seizes second vessel
Separately, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said a second vessel – supertanker M Sophia – was seized by American forces “in international waters near the Caribbean”.
Reuters said the vessel was Panama-flagged and under US sanctions.
It had departed from Venezuelan waters this month as part of a fleet of ships carrying Venezuelan oil to China in “dark mode”, or with its transponder off, according to shipping data and sources, the news agency added.
In a social media post, Noem said both the M Sophia and the Marinera were “either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it”.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett said the seizures are a “significant” development.
“It’s clear that there is an operation under way – a number of vessels that not only have been [pursued] but have now been apprehended,” Halkett said.
In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two “ghost fleet” tanker ships— one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels —the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor… pic.twitter.com/EZlHEtcufX
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 7, 2026
Ajazeera