U.S. military forces have tracked and intercepted a Russian-flagged oil tanker in international waters that had tried to circumvent Washington’s blockade on Venezuelan crude exports, the U.S. military’s European command confirmed on Wednesday.
After a chase that lasted two weeks, the oil tanker was intercepted in North Atlantic waters near Iceland in a joint operation between the Coast Guard and the U.S. military, Reuters reported. Originally called the Bella 1, its name was changed to Marinera in an effort to throw its pursuers off the scent. The crew of the tanker had even painted a Russian flag on its hull to suggest it was sailing under Russian protection, CNN reported.
“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,” the U.S. military’s European command said in a social media post.
The British Ministry of Defense has confirmed in a statement that it has provided operational assistance to the U.S. government in the seizure of the oil tanker. “Today, the UK has provided enabling support to the United States at their request to interdict the vessel Bella 1,” reads a post on X. British authorities claim that the intercepted vessel has a “sinister history” and is part of a Russian-Iranian axis designed to circumvent sanctions that is fueling terrorism, conflict, and misery in both the Middle East and Ukraine.
The tanker had already been sanctioned a couple of years ago for attempting to circumvent U.S. trade sanctions against Venezuela. The vessel has been part of the phantom fleet that has supported Caracas’s efforts to sell its oil to other countries over the years.
Some ships from the Russian military fleet were in the vicinity. A Russian submarine was near the tanker, U.S. officials told Reuters. They did not specify, however, the distance to the Russian vessels, and there is no indication of an encounter.
Second vessel
Meanwhile, U.S. forces intercepted another tanker sailing in the Caribbean, according to the U.S. Southern Command. This vessel, named Sophia, is being escorted to a U.S. port to be turned over to U.S. authorities.
In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.
The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and… pic.twitter.com/JQm9gHprPk
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 7, 2026
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