The U.S. on Wednesday seized a rogue Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuelan oil in the North Atlantic Sea. British military support was included in the perfectly executed commando-style boarding.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had earlier announced another seizure in a social media post.
“In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ships — one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean,” she posted.
Noem said the Motor Tanker M/V Bella I (later renamed the Marinera and reflagged as Russian) and the Motor Tanker Sophia were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it.
U.S. European Command confirmed the stop-and-board apprehension of the sanctioned ship Bella 1 after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic.
The stateless ship – originally known as the M/V Bella-1 – is the latest to be targeted by the U.S. Coast Guard since the start of President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against Venezuela.
The seizure of the ship, which evaded being boarded near Venezuela, was a joint operation between the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. military personnel, the U.S. European Command, which is responsible for the region, said in a post on X.
The U.S. had been pursuing the tanker since last month after it tried to evade a U.S. blockade on sanctioned oil vessels around Venezuela.
Fox News reports several military aircraft were earlier tracked heading towards the vessel.
The ship is accused of breaking U.S. sanctions and shipping Iranian oil – it’s historically transported Venezuelan crude oil but reports say it’s currently empty.
The BBC reports a Russian submarine and other vessels were earlier sent to escort the tanker across the Atlantic.
The U.S. military seized the Bella 1 and subsequently handed over control of it to law enforcement officials, said a U.S. official, who spoke to the Associated Press on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
The outlet reports the ship was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
RELATED: Seizure! U.S. Government Captures Tanker Carrying Sanctioned Iranian and Venezuelan Oil
The U.S. Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean in December as it headed for Venezuela. The ship refused boarding and headed across the Atlantic.
During this time, the Bella 1 was renamed Marinera and flagged to Russia, shipping databases show. The U.S. official also confirmed to AP the ship’s crew had painted a Russian flag on the side of the hull.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in December the U.S. Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, seized a second oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.
UPDATE: The UK Ministry of Defence says it supported U.S. efforts to seize the Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic today, including with RAF aircraft.
Here’s a statement from UK Defence Secretary John Healey via the BBC:
“Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia.
“This 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.”
More to come…