Following claims that the vessel bypassed a limited maritime blockade linked to Venezuela, the United States (US) has launched efforts to take control of a Russia-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic.
According to several U.S. media on Wednesday, January 7, the American authorities alleged that the tanker belongs to a clandestine “Shadow fleet” used to transport crude oil for sanctioned states, including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, in defiance of U.S. sanctions regimes.
Maritime tracking information from MarineTraffic indicated that the vessel was approaching the exclusive economic zone of Iceland as of Wednesday.
The enforcement move, first disclosed by Reuters, followed reports that Russia deployed a submarine to accompany the tanker, which was said to be empty at the time.
U.S. officials revealed that American authorities had been monitoring and pursuing the vessel for several weeks before the escort was dispatched.
The vessel repelled an attempt by the U.S. Coast Guard to board it late last month as it approached Venezuela, according to tracking and maritime reports.
The tanker, which had been under surveillance after slipping through a partial blockade, managed to sail away when U.S. forces attempted to intercept it.
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On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was “Following with concern” the U.S. pursuit of the oil tanker, stressing its unease over the escalation.
The ministry told state-run media that the vessel was flying the Russian flag and was operating far from the U.S. coast at the time of the incident.
“For reasons that remain unclear to us, the Russian vessel is receiving heightened attention from U.S. and NATO military forces that is clearly disproportionate to its peaceful status,” the ministry said, according to Russian state media reports.
The United States has launched an operation to seize a Russia-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after weeks of pursuit and an earlier failed boarding attempt near Venezuela, U.S. and international media report.
The vessel, now named the Marinera and previously known as Bella 1, reportedly slipped through a partial U.S. naval blockade of sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela, resisted a Coast Guard boarding last month, and then sailed north across the Atlantic. It was tracked approaching Iceland’s exclusive economic zone before U.S. forces moved to take control.
The tanker, which U.S. officials say is part of a so-called “shadow fleet” used to carry crude for countries including Venezuela, Russia and Iran in ways that violate U.S. sanctions, was sanctioned by Washington in 2024 for alleged links to illicit oil transport.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has criticised the operation, saying it is tracking the situation with concern.
“For reasons unclear to us, the Russian vessel is receiving heightened attention from the US and NATO militaries attention that is clearly disproportionate to its peaceful status,” the ministry said, asserting the ship was sailing under the Russian flag in international waters.
The ship’s operators reportedly changed its name, painted a Russian flag on the hull, and transferred its registration to Russia while it was already underway — steps that Moscow considers lawful and protective under international maritime norms.
In response to the pursuit, Russia deployed a submarine and other naval assets to escort or monitor the tanker in high seas, marking a more visible military presence linked to the standoff.
The operation comes amid a broader escalation of U.S. enforcement actions targeting sanctioned oil shipments from Venezuela and its allies, part of a strategy by the Trump administration to tighten economic pressure on Caracas and its network of trade partners.
The tanker had been on course to Venezuela but was reportedly not carrying cargo when it evaded the blockade and reversed direction into the Atlantic. Details remain emerging as authorities monitor and respond to developments in the pursuit.
