The United States is attempting to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker with links to Venezuela after a weeks-long pursuit across the Atlantic, a move that risks escalating tensions with Moscow as Russian naval assets operate nearby.
According to Reuters, two US officials said the operation involves the US Coast Guard and the US military and follows more than two weeks of efforts to intercept the vessel, which repeatedly evaded boarding attempts.
Pursuit escalates near Iceland
The tanker, originally known as Bella 1 and now operating under the name Marinera, was first targeted by the US Coast Guard last month but refused to be boarded, the officials said. During the pursuit, the ship altered its course, changed its name and reflagged as a Russian vessel, complicating US efforts to intercept it.
The seizure attempt is taking place in waters near Iceland, where Russian military vessels, including a submarine, were reported to be operating in the general vicinity. US officials said it was unclear how close the Russian assets were to the operation.
If completed, the seizure would mark one of the first known attempts by US forces in recent memory to take control of a Russian-flagged commercial vessel.
Tanker linked to Venezuela sanctions
US officials said the Bella 1 / Marinera is among a group of tankers targeted as part of Washington’s intensified pressure campaign against Venezuela. The vessel is believed to be part of a so-called “shadow fleet” used to transport oil from sanctioned countries, including Venezuela, Russia and Iran, while evading Western restrictions.
Since the start of the campaign, the US Coast Guard has intercepted multiple Venezuela-linked tankers. In a separate incident, US authorities also stopped another tanker in Latin American waters, as part of what officials described as a maritime “blockade” of sanctioned vessels.
Russian escort and mounting friction
Earlier reports indicated that Russia has deployed naval assets to monitor or escort the tanker as it transited waters between Scotland and Iceland earlier this week. After the vessel reflagged as Russian, US authorities briefly paused their pursuit to avoid a direct diplomatic confrontation, but the standoff has continued.
Russia has said it is “monitoring with concern” the situation surrounding the tanker, according to US officials familiar with Moscow’s position.
On Tuesday, US Southern Command posted on social media that it “remains ready to support our US government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region,” adding that US sea services were prepared to act if called upon.
Fallout after Maduro’s capture
The tanker operation comes just days after US special forces carried out a pre-dawn raid in Caracas to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and transfer him to the United States for prosecution on charges related to alleged drug trafficking.
Senior Venezuelan officials have described Maduro’s capture as a kidnapping and accused Washington of seeking control over the country’s vast oil reserves, the largest proven reserves in the world. US President Donald Trump and senior administration officials, in turn, have accused Venezuela of “stealing” US oil – a reference to the nationalization of the country’s energy sector over several decades.