U.S. seizes Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuela

A high-stakes maritime standoff unfolded in the North Atlantic after U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker connected to Venezuela. “The tanker has been secured,” a U.S. official told The Washington Post, adding that “U.S. federal law enforcement personnel are currently on board it.”

U.S. European Command said the vessel was seized under a federal court warrant for alleged sanctions violations. The operation followed more than two weeks of pursuit, complicated by the presence of a Russian submarine and warship in the area.

The tanker, formerly known as Bella 1 and now renamed Marinera, had previously evaded a U.S. maritime blockade near Venezuela and refused to allow Coast Guard inspectors to board. The vessel is believed to be part of a larger “shadow” or “dark” fleet, a network of more than 1,000 aging ships with opaque ownership structures that are often used to bypass Western sanctions. These tankers frequently disable tracking systems and conduct ship-to-ship transfers to obscure the origin of Iranian, Russian, and Venezuelan crude.

U.S. authorities have previously apprehended two other crude carriers, the Skipper and the Centuries, described as part of the same shadow network.

Why the Tanker Matters

According to Reuters, this appears to be the first recent U.S. attempt to seize a ship flying the Russian flag. The Wall Street Journal reported that the confrontation over the Marinera has turned an empty, aging tanker into a test of President Donald Trump’s efforts to block sanctioned oil shipments from Venezuela and other U.S. adversaries.

The maritime standoff comes in the wake of a U.S. commando raid in Caracas on Saturday that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials called the operation a kidnapping and accused the United States of trying to seize the country’s oil reserves, while U.S. officials argued that Venezuela had been “stealing” American oil through decades of state-run energy sector practices.

How the Standoff Began

The Bella 1 had already been sanctioned for its alleged role in transporting black-market Iranian oil on behalf of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations aligned with Tehran. When U.S. authorities first attempted to board the vessel near Venezuela in December 2025, they classified it as “stateless” and subject to a court seizure order, citing a false flag operation.

After the failed boarding, the ship reportedly sailed into the Atlantic, hastily painting a Russian flag on the hull, renaming itself Marinera, and re-registering in Russia. Moscow then filed diplomatic requests urging Washington to halt the pursuit.

The Coast Guard tracked the vessel into the eastern Atlantic. Reports indicate it was positioned south of Iceland and heading toward the North Sea, with the last sighting approximately 250 miles off Ireland’s west coast, apparently en route to the Russian port of Murmansk.

The incident highlights the challenges of enforcing U.S. sanctions on the high seas, particularly against vessels that actively evade detection and operate under shifting flags. Analysts say it may set a precedent for future maritime operations involving sanctioned shipping networks and contested waters.