US Seizes Oil Tanker Russia Had Been Protecting

UPDATE Jan 7, 2026 8:10 AM CST

The US on Wednesday moved in on a Russian-flagged oil tanker tied to Venezuela and managed to seize it. The New York Times reports the US military's European Command on X confirmed 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 US had been pursuing the vessel for about two weeks. NBC News reports the vessel "emerged as a new flashpoint between Washington and Moscow ... [which] criticized what it said was 'disproportionate' US attention on the tanker"; it's one of several sanctioned oil tankers sailing near Venezuela that have recently switched their flags to Russia.

Jan 7, 2026 6:47 AM CST

Russia has sent naval assets to escort an oil tanker that the US has been trying to seize for weeks, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Formerly known as the Bella 1, the tanker now called the Marinera is part of a "shadow fleet" that ferries crude for Russia, Iran, and Venezuela despite US and allied sanctions, the Times reports. The US Coast Guard stopped the tanker in the Caribbean on Dec. 21 as it attempted to evade a blockade around Venezuela, presenting a seizure warrant related to its lack of national flag. But the crew refused to allow a boarding and headed into the Atlantic, pursued by US authorities.

In the days that followed, the empty ship was renamed, registered in a Russian vessel database, and had a Russian flag hastily painted on its hull, while Moscow formally urged Washington to drop the chase. The plea apparently didn't work: video aired by Russian state outlet RT this week appears to show a US Coast Guard cutter following the tanker in fog. The outlet claimed the US was chasing the "civilian vessel" bound for Murmansk, Russia, risking lives in the process. Transponder data now shows the Marinera in the North Atlantic between Iceland and the UK, moving northeast, per the Times.

The standoff at sea underscores how US efforts to enforce a "complete blockade" on sanctioned oil shipments to and from Venezuela are colliding with Russia's willingness to visibly shield vessels carrying that crude. The Marinera is one of several sanctioned tankers that have recently adopted Russian flags after operating in or near Venezuelan waters. At least four other vessels, including another tanker called the Hyperion, now list Russian ports like Sochi or Taganrog as their home base in official registries. Experts say the Marinera's new registration complicates any potential seizure, raising the possibility of "retaliation by Russia and aligned nations like Iran," per the Journal.