The US announced on Wednesday it had seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after a more than two-week chase.
It marks the first time in recent history that the US military has seized a Russian-flagged vessel.
Seizing Russian-Flagged Tanker
In a statement on X, the US European Command said that it conducted a joint operation with Justice and Homeland Security Departments, in coordination with the War Department, resulting in the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions.
“The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro,” the statement said.
“This seizure supports (President Donald Trump (Proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere,” it added.
Russia’s Comment
The Russian Transport Ministry said that “all contact was lost” with the Marinera oil tanker after the US seized it. Furthermore, it denounced the US move as a violation of maritime law.
“In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” it said in a statement.
Earlier, Russian state media outlet RT published an image of a helicopter hovering near the ship.
Venezuelan Oil Blockade
The seizure is part of a US “blockade” of Venezuelan oil exports. Russian military vessels, including a submarine, were in the general vicinity of the operation, Reuters reported citing US officials.
The tanker, which changed its name from the Bella 1 to the Marinera, was initially pursued by the US Coast Guard in the Caribbean last month, as authorities believed it was heading to Venezuela in breach of a US maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers.
“The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world,” US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, posted after the vessel’s seizure.
UK Involvement
The operation took place near Iceland, two US officials told Reuters. The UK has reportedly taken part in the operation.
British Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft were involved in the Marinera seizure operation as it passed off British waters, the I Paper reported.
In response, the official spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister declined to comment on the US operation, according to BBC. “We don’t comment on the operational activity of other nations, including the third party use of UK bases,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Tightening Grip on Venezuelan Oil
Separately, the US Southern Command announced on Wednesday the seizure of another oil tanker in the Caribbean.
“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,” it said in a statement.
“The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea,” the statement added.
The two seizure operations came few days after the US had captured of Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, and transported him to stand trial in New York for charges related to narco-terrorism.
The US President, Donald Trump, said he will run Venezuela for a transitional period and tap its oil reserves. On Tuesday, he said that Caracas and Washington have reached a deal to export up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude to the US.
Moreover, Trump said that the wants the country’s interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, to grant the US and private companies “total access” to Venezuela’s oil industry.
