US seizes Russia-flagged shadow fleet VLCC in Atlantic
THE US has seized a Russia-flagged shadow fleet* very large crude carrier in the north Atlantic following a two-week pursuit that started after a failed bid to initially intercept the sanctioned tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
In a separate operation, the US also intercepted a second shadow fleet VLCC, the 320,000 dwt M Sophia (IMO: 9289477), that had been “operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea”. In video footage of the capture released by US Southern Command, the vessel’s draught suggested it was laden with cargo, with Vortexa data showing it loaded 1.8m of Venezuelan crude in late December.
M Sophia was sanctioned by the US and UK in January and September of 2025, respectively.
The US Coast Guard is escorting M Sophia to the US.
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
The fate of the 318,500 dwt Marinera (IMO: 9230880), however, is not yet clear.
The US Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security announced the seizure of the tanker Marinera, previously known as Bella 1, for “violations of US sanctions”, the US military’s European command said on Wednesday.
“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 seizure marks the latest dramatic twist in a nautical hunt that involved the US coast guard as well as American and UK surveillance aircraft after the tanker evaded a US naval blockade around Venezuela.
Since then, Mariner has been tracked by the US Coast Guard through the Caribbean Sea and into the Atlantic.
At the time of the first attempted boarding, the US stated that they considered the vessel stateless, on the basis that it had been flying a false flag of Guyana.
Under UNCLOS Article 110(1)(d), a warship or government vessel can board a vessel suspected of being stateless on the high seas. They can then apply their own jurisdiction.
However, Marinera switched flags while being pursued by the US mid-voyage and has since been listed under the Russian register, with its home port listed as Sochi. It is no longer stateless, and subject to Russian jurisdiction.
Moscow was quick to slam the seizure.
“On December 24, 2025, the Marinera received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian Federation flag, issued in accordance with Russian law and international law,” the Russian Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
It said the vessel was boarded around 15:00 “in the high seas outside the territorial waters of any state, and contact with the vessel was lost”.
“In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in high seas waters, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.”
While Russia formally requested that the US cease its pursuit of Marinera after it flagged the sanctioned tanker, the US has continued to refer to the ship as Bella 1, suggesting they have not recognised the change of flag as legitimate.
It is a matter of debate as to whether it is legitimate for a vessel to change flag mid voyage.
While shadow fleet vessels have normalised the process of switching between multiple flags and identities over increasingly short periods of time, this practice has largely been limited to fraudulent flag operations rather than national registers like Russia.
This seizure supports Donald Trump’s proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere, noted US European Command in a social media post on X.
“The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world,” Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defence, posted on X soon afterwards.
The UK in a statement confirmed it supported to the operation to the seize the vessel, referring to it as Bella 1, its name before it found flag sanctuary with Russia.
“Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful US interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey.
He said the action “formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting”.
“This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.
“The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
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