The United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker on Wednesday after a more than two-week pursuit across the Atlantic, an operation U.S. officials said supports a presidential proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere.
The vessel was intercepted near Iceland by the U.S. Coast Guard with support from the U.S. military, marking what appears to be the first recent seizure of a Russian-flagged ship by U.S. forces.
The tanker, known as the Bella-1, had evaded a U.S. maritime blockade in the Caribbean and refused earlier Coast Guard boarding attempts, later reflagging under Russia and renaming itself Marinera. U.S. European Command said the ship was seized for violating U.S. sanctions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil remains in force worldwide. U.S. officials also confirmed the interception of another Venezuela-linked tanker in the Caribbean Sea as enforcement actions continue.
The developments followed an announcement by President Trump late Tuesday stating that interim Venezuelan authorities would transfer between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States. Trump said the oil would be sold at market prices, with proceeds overseen by the U.S. government to benefit both countries, and directed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to carry out the plan immediately using storage ships to deliver the oil to U.S. ports.
