U.S. Seizes Two Oil Tankers, Including Russian-Flagged Vessel

The U.S. military seized two oil tankers on Wednesday, including a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland, as the Trump administration moved to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry, officials said. The Russian-flagged tanker, now named the Marinera and formerly Bella 1, had been pursued after being briefly stopped in the Caribbean and was boarded by the Coast Guard; officials said the crew had painted a Russian flag and that Russia dispatched at least one naval vessel to join it.

The U.S. mobilized aircraft including a Navy P-8 and AC-130 gunships and said Britain provided air surveillance, a naval support vessel and bases. A federal magistrate issued a seizure warrant last month, citing the tanker's history of transporting Iranian oil for groups linked to terrorism, and U.S.

officials said the boarding encountered no resistance and the ship was not carrying oil at the time. The Coast Guard also intercepted a second tanker in international waters in the Caribbean that it described as "conducting illicit activities;" that vessel, the M Sophia, was not flying a valid national flag, allowing boarding, and the Southern Command said it would escort the ship to the United States for "final disposition." The Treasury had sanctioned the vessel in January 2025 for involvement in the Russian oil trade, but U.S.

authorities did not have a judicial warrant for that ship, according to a U.S. official.

Key Topics

World, Marinera, M Sophia, Venezuela, Petróleos De Venezuela, Sanctions