Operation follows weeks-long pursuit as tanker evades US maritime blockade; move risks escalating tensions with Russia.
The United States is attempting to seize a Venezuela-linked oil tanker after a more than two-week pursuit across the Atlantic, according to two US officials cited by Reuters.
The operation comes after the tanker—formerly known as Bella-1—slipped through a US maritime “blockade” targeting sanctioned vessels and rejected attempts by the United States Coast Guard to board it, the officials said.
The tanker, now renamed Marinera and sailing under a Russian flag, is the latest vessel targeted under the pressure campaign launched by US President Donald Trump against Venezuela’s oil trade.
Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the seizure effort is being conducted jointly by the US Coast Guard and the US military. They added that Russian military assets, including a submarine, were present in the general vicinity at the time of the operation—raising concerns about potential escalation with Russia.
In a related development, US authorities have also intercepted another Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Latin American waters, as Washington continues enforcing restrictions on vessels accused of violating sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector.
The latest action underscores the intensifying maritime enforcement campaign against Venezuelan oil shipments, a strategy that has drawn international attention amid rising geopolitical tensions involving Russia, Venezuela, and the United States.
