US Forces Seize Russian Oil Tanker Linked to Venezuela Amid Escalating Tensions
In a dramatic operation, US special forces commandeered a Russian-flagged oil tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in the North Atlantic, drawing sharp criticism from Moscow. The seizure of the Marinera, originally known as Bella-1, was carried out on Wednesday after weeks of pursuit, with American officials claiming it had violated US sanctions.
According to the US military's European Command, the vessel was seized for violating US sanctions related to Venezuela. "The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT – anywhere in the world," US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media.
The operation came after the Marinera slipped through a US maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers bound for Venezuela and rebuffed US Coast Guard efforts to board it. American officials say the tanker is part of a "shadow fleet" that has carried oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in violation of US sanctions.
Russian state broadcaster RT reported that US forces boarded the ship from a helicopter, with an image published showing the aircraft hovering near the vessel. The Russian Transport Ministry condemned the seizure as a violation of maritime law, stating that freedom of navigation applies in the high seas and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.
The ship was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The US Coast Guard had tried to board it in the Caribbean in December as it headed for Venezuela, but the ship refused boarding and sailed across the Atlantic.
The seizure is part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela, with the US leader vowing to "run" the country and develop its vast oil reserves. The move comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Russia over Venezuela.
In a separate operation, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that a second vessel, Panama-flagged supertanker M Sophia, had been seized by American forces in international waters near the Caribbean.
In a dramatic operation, US special forces commandeered a Russian-flagged oil tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in the North Atlantic, drawing sharp criticism from Moscow. The seizure of the Marinera, originally known as Bella-1, was carried out on Wednesday after weeks of pursuit, with American officials claiming it had violated US sanctions.
According to the US military's European Command, the vessel was seized for violating US sanctions related to Venezuela. "The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT – anywhere in the world," US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media.
The operation came after the Marinera slipped through a US maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers bound for Venezuela and rebuffed US Coast Guard efforts to board it. American officials say the tanker is part of a "shadow fleet" that has carried oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in violation of US sanctions.
Russian state broadcaster RT reported that US forces boarded the ship from a helicopter, with an image published showing the aircraft hovering near the vessel. The Russian Transport Ministry condemned the seizure as a violation of maritime law, stating that freedom of navigation applies in the high seas and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.
The ship was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The US Coast Guard had tried to board it in the Caribbean in December as it headed for Venezuela, but the ship refused boarding and sailed across the Atlantic.
The seizure is part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela, with the US leader vowing to "run" the country and develop its vast oil reserves. The move comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Russia over Venezuela.
In a separate operation, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that a second vessel, Panama-flagged supertanker M Sophia, had been seized by American forces in international waters near the Caribbean.
This is getting crazy! I mean, I get why they're trying to crack down on Russia's "shadow fleet" and all 
but commandeering a ship like this? It's just asking for more drama 
. The Russians are already saying it's a violation of maritime law 
, and now the world is watching 
. US vs Russia is heating up over Venezuela 
, but can't they just talk about this instead of resorting to military action? 
I'm all for standing up against sanctioned oil tankers 
, but do we have to do it like this? 
#USvsRussia #VenezuelaCrisis #OilSanctions #MaritimeLawMatters
A shadow fleet operating under the radar sounds super sketchy to me. How many more tankers will get "acquired" before someone gets hurt? 
this is getting crazy! I'm all about peace and calm vibes, but the tension between the US and Russia over Venezuela is getting super intense 
. And what's up with this whole 'shadow fleet' thing? It sounds like a plot from a spy movie 
.
. I just hope that everyone involved can stay calm and rational, and we don't end up in some kind of global crisis 
.
Maybe we need to take a step back and think about what's really going on here... and maybe even practice some mindfulness 
. We need to focus on finding solutions, not exacerbating the problem 
I'm literally shaking my head over this one... like what's next? The US is basically saying "we're not gonna play nice" with Russia and Venezuela anymore 
. And what about international law? The Russian Transport Ministry is right - freedom of navigation applies in the high seas, no state should be able to just use force against vessels registered in other countries 
.
. Like, who's in charge here? The US or some rogue Russian ship with a bunch of shady cargo on board? It's always something 
.
I'm not exactly thrilled about this development either. More red tape for innocent sailors trying to make a living? Not cool 
.
. Maybe they should just have a big ol' flag that says "We're a global superpower – deal with it!" 
. And what's with all the sanctions? It feels like we're just creating more problems for ourselves.
I mean, come on, they're just gonna keep on seizing these Russian tankers like it's no big deal. And now Russia is all upset because "freedom of navigation" and whatever... 
Who really cares about that when there are billions of dollars at stake? The US is just trying to strangle Venezuela and control their oil, plain and simple. It's a power play, and it's gonna escalate things with Russia, mark my words... 
meanwhile, the russians are all upset... no surprise there 
. Russia's all upset cuz they say US is violatin maritime law but im not sure who's right here 
. I hope diplomacy comes into play soon or we might end up with an oil crisis 
in terms of escalating tensions between the US and Russia over Venezuela 
.
. Not to mention the diplomatic fallout between the US and Russia 
.
.
The blockade thingy is wild tho. Im not sayin one side is wrong or summat, but US just went ahead and took that ship without askin permission first. Maybe Russia had a point abt freedom of navigation tho 
. It's not like they're just gonna start making up their own rules and expecting everyone else to follow along 
.
What even is the US doing with all these tankers, anyway? 
They're like pirates in the North Atlantic! 
us vs russia over oil 
and lebanon has to deal with hezbollah