U.S. forces on the 7th (local time) used military power to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic between Iceland and the United Kingdom. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic under a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after a chase by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro.
U.S. European Command (EUCOM) said on X (formerly Twitter) that "the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, in cooperation with the war department (Ministry of National Defense), announced they seized Bella 1 for violating U.S. sanctions," conveying the news.
According to Reuters and the New York Times (NYT), the United States has been tracking the oil tanker (Bella 1) for more than two weeks after it fled on the 21st of last month, rejecting a U.S. Coast Guard boarding attempt. The tanker departed from Iran and was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard while trying to enter Venezuela to load Venezuelan crude. It then painted a Russian flag on the side of the hull, registered under the Russian flag, and changed its name to "Marinera."
The United States has carried out tanker seizure operations since President Donald Trump ordered a complete blockade on sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela. The latest seizure is also interpreted as a kind of warning that corporations and ships linked to Venezuelan crude oil transactions will be sanctioned.
In particular, it is an extension of the process of seizing tankers belonging to the "shadow fleet" that illegally load or attempt to load crude oil in Venezuela. In fact, Bella 1, seized this time, also belongs to the "shadow fleet," a group of vessels that have illegally transported Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan crude in violation of international sanctions.
Earlier, with the U.S. pursuit continuing, Russia asked the United States through diplomatic channels to stop the chase. On this, Reuters said it "could escalate tensions with Russia." The NYT also noted it "will intensify confrontation between the two countries."
Meanwhile, U.S. Southern Command said on X that "(separate from the seizure of Bella 1) in a dawn operation today, the war department, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, seized one stateless dark-fleet tanker subject to sanctions near the Caribbean." The NYT reported the vessel's name is "Sofia" and it was flying the Cameroonian flag.