The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic Ocean after a weeks-long pursuit tied to enforcement of U.S. sanctions against Venezuela-linked shipments, officials say.
The vessel, formerly known as the Bella 1 and later renamed Marinera, was tracked and intercepted under a federal court warrant for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions.
The tanker had previously attempted to evade a U.S. maritime blockade near Venezuelan waters and rebuffed boarding efforts, prompting U.S. forces, including the Coast Guard and military assets, to follow it across the Atlantic.
U.S. European Command confirmed the ship’s seizure, describing it as part of broader efforts to uphold sanctions targeting vessels thought to transport Venezuelan oil in violation of restrictions, reinforcing Washington’s campaign to curb sanction-evasion activities.
The operation, conducted in international waters south of Iceland, highlighted ongoing geopolitical tensions, as the tanker had been reflagged to Russia and, at times, monitored by Russian naval assets during the chase.
Authorities say the move supports U.S. policy aimed at disrupting illicit oil flows tied to sanctioned entities and underscores the willingness of American forces to enforce sanctions far from U.S. shores.