U.S. seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker with ties to Venezuela : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4096x2731+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe9%2F1b%2Ffe1f1c3d47bf85168687442bc7e6%2Fbella-1-oil-tanker-coast-guard.jpeg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4096x2731+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe9%2F1b%2Ffe1f1c3d47bf85168687442bc7e6%2Fbella-1-oil-tanker-coast-guard.jpeg" class="img" alt="A crude oil tanker named the Bella 1 and later the Marinera was seized by U.S. forces on Wednesday. The tanker is seen here in a photo taken aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro." fetchpriority="high"/> A crude oil tanker named the Bella 1 and later the Marinera was seized by U.S. forces on Wednesday. The tanker is seen right here in a photograph taken aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro. U.S. European Command conceal caption

toggle caption

U.S. European Command After a two week chase, U.S. forces have seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker within the north Atlantic between Iceland and Britain.

The tanker was initially certain for Venezuela, however modified course to keep away from the U.S. ships, setting off the prolonged drama at sea.

The U.S. motion is a part of a army strain marketing campaign that features boarding tankers which can be on a U.S. sanctions listing. The marketing campaign started a month in the past, however the U.S. seized Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse.

Wednesday's motion exhibits the marketing campaign is ongoing.

When the confrontation at sea started final month, the tanker was known as the Bella-1 and was on the U.S. sanctions listing, a part of the so-called "ghost fleet" of ships concerned within the transport of oil from international locations comparable to Venezuela, Russia and Iran.

The Bella-1 refused to halt and reversed course, heading from the Caribbean and going throughout the Atlantic.

On the best way it renamed itself the Marinera and re-flagged itself as a Russian ship. Transport analysts say it might have been headed to a Russian port within the Arctic when U.S. forces boarded it.

The U.S. army's European Command and the Division of Homeland Safety each introduced the seizure on social media.

U.S. European Command recognized the vessel because the Bella-1, a ship that has sparked weeks of hypothesis because the U.S. moved to grab it. Just lately, the Bella 1 was renamed the Marinera and started crusing below the Russian flag.

In a associated improvement, a second tanker, the Sophia, was additionally intercepted in or close to the Caribbean Sea. U.S. Southern Command known as the ship "a stateless, sanctioned darkish fleet motor tanker."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3024x1964+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/png/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4d%2F3e%2Fd3a3663145cc9957129c87dc4c7a%2Fscreenshot-2026-01-07-at-10-23-49-am.png" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3024x1964+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4d%2F3e%2Fd3a3663145cc9957129c87dc4c7a%2Fscreenshot-2026-01-07-at-10-23-49-am.png" class="img" alt="A U.S. helicopter lowers personnel onto the deck of the M/T Sophia, in a screenshot from a video published by U.S. Southern Command." loading="lazy"/> A U.S. helicopter lowers personnel onto the deck of the M/T Sophia, in a screenshot from a video revealed by U.S. Southern Command. U.S. Southern Command conceal caption

toggle caption

U.S. Southern Command Sophia "was working in worldwide waters and conducting illicit actions," the army mentioned, including that the U.S. Coast Guard is now escorting the ship to the U.S.

In a put up on X, Secretary of Homeland Safety Kristi Noem said, "In two predawn operations right this moment, the Coast Guard carried out back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two 'ghost fleet' tanker ships."

The Bella-1 and the Sophia "had been both final docked in Venezuela or en path to it," Noem mentioned.

Responding to the seizure within the North Atlantic, the Russian Ministry of Transport affirmed that the tanker that was renamed the Marinera "was granted non permanent permission" to sail below the Russian flag on Dec. 24, 2025, in a put up translated and shared by the Russian Overseas Ministry.

Citing worldwide regulation, the ministry added, "no state has the appropriate to make use of drive in opposition to vessels duly registered within the jurisdictions of different states."

The ministry didn't immediately tackle U.S. accusations that the vessel was used to avoid sanctions on Venezuela. After U.S. forces boarded the ship, communication with the vessel was misplaced, the company mentioned.