US seizes Russia-flagged ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker after dramatic Atlantic chase | WATCH
Washington: US military forces have boarded and seized a Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic after tracking it for several weeks, according to a US official speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation. Control of the vessel has since been transferred to US law enforcement authorities.
The tanker had been under pursuit since December after it attempted to evade a US-imposed blockade on sanctioned oil vessels operating around Venezuela. US European Command confirmed on social media that the US Coast Guard cutter Munro tracked the ship before its seizure, which was carried out pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court.
According to US European Command, the operation was conducted in support of President Donald Trump’s proclamation authorising action against sanctioned vessels deemed to threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere. The ship had been sanctioned by the US in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo on behalf of a company linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The US Coast Guard had previously attempted to board the tanker in the Caribbean in December while it was heading towards Venezuela. The vessel refused boarding and fled across the Atlantic. Shipping databases show the ship was formerly known as Bella 1, later renamed Marinera, and was sailing under a Russian flag at the time of its seizure.
Open-source maritime tracking data earlier on Wednesday placed the tanker between Scotland and Iceland, travelling north, a location later confirmed by the US official. US military aircraft, along with a Royal Air Force surveillance plane, were observed monitoring the vessel in the days leading up to the seizure.
The tanker’s seizure comes amid a broader US military campaign targeting Venezuela-linked sanctioned shipping under Operation Southern Spear, which includes a naval quarantine on oil tankers trading with the country. The action follows a recent US raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, after which Trump administration officials said further seizures of sanctioned Venezuelan-linked vessels would continue.