US seizes Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit

The United States has carried out an operation to seize a Russia-flagged oil tanker with links to Venezuela after a more than two-week pursuit across the Atlantic, Reuters reported, citing US officials.

According to the Reuters report, the tanker, originally named Bella-1 and now re-registered as Marinera, had evaded earlier efforts by the US Coast Guard to board it while enforcing a maritime blockade on tankers carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil. The blockade is part of an expanded campaign to pressure Venezuela and disrupt oil flows tied to sanctioned networks.

US officials told Reuters that the operation took place near Iceland and involved both the Coast Guard and US military forces. Russian naval vessels, including a submarine, were reported to be in the general vicinity, although there were no indications of direct confrontation between US and Russian forces.

The seizure appears to be one of the first instances in recent memory in which US forces have attempted to take control of a Russian-flagged vessel at sea, Reuters noted. The tanker had slipped through an earlier maritime blockade and had resisted boarding attempts by the Coast Guard in the Caribbean before its Atlantic voyage.

BREAKING: Special Forces, working with the U.S. Coast Guard, successfully boarded the Russian-flagged, Iranian-linked oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic, Reuters reports. pic.twitter.com/cu0Ans7Pno

— Digital Gal (@DigitalGalX) January 7, 2026

Reuters also reported that, separately, another Venezuela-linked tanker, the Panama-flagged supertanker M Sophia, was intercepted by the Coast Guard in Latin American waters, underscoring the expanding scope of US enforcement of sanctions and blockade measures.

The Marinera’s journey and attempted seizure come amid wider US pressure campaigns against Venezuela, including recent military operations and heightened sanctions targeting vessels believed to be operating outside international norms to transport sanctioned oil.

As of the latest reports, US forces are in control of the vessel and law enforcement personnel are aboard, and the situation continues to develop. Independent confirmation from Moscow was not immediately available.

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