The vessel, now renamed Marinera, failed to dock inVenezuela and load oil, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a US official.
Russia's state media outlet RT shared a video reportedly from the oil tanker's deck showing the US Coast Guard cutter trailing the vessel.
BREAKING WORLD EXCLUSIVE: RT obtains FIRST footage of Russian-flagged civilian Marinera tanker being CHASED by US Coast Guard warship in the North Atlantic
https://t.co/sNbqJkm5O5 pic.twitter.com/XtbBML3a6j
— RT (@RT_com) January 6, 2026
In another post, RT claimed the US was attempting to intercept the tanker, headed to Murmansk, Russia, despite its "clear civilian status".
Despite the ship being empty, the US Coast Guard pursued it into the Atlantic in an effort to crack down on a fleet of tankers that transport oil around the world.
The Marinera's crew repelled a US boarding attempt in December and subsequently changed the ship's name to Marinera and registration to Russia.
As per the three other US officials, Russia has requested that the United States cease its pursuit of the vessel. According to state news agency RIA, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday that it was ‘with concern’ monitoring the situation regarding the tanker.
The US military's Southern Command has stated it is ready to "stand against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region."
The tanker is currently sailing in the Eastern Atlantic, heading towards the North Sea. The Coast Guard has continued to track the ship into the Eastern Atlantic.
This incident comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine, with Russia yet to accept a proposed peace framework.
The US has already seized two large crude carriers involved in illicit oil transportation and may pursue more.
The US began pursuing the Bella 1 because it was considered a stateless vessel flying a false flag and was subject to a judicial seizure order, as per the White House. The US had sanctioned the tanker for allegedly transporting black-market Iranian oil linked to terrorist organisations. However, Russia's recent registration of the ship complicates the US legal justification for boarding it, the outlet reported, citing experts.
"Once it’s legitimately registered, it gets the protection of the flag” under international law. It’s not retroactive, you can’t say it was stateless two weeks ago so we’re going to say it’s stateless now," said retired Rear Adm. Fred Kenney, former director of legal affairs and external relations at the International Maritime Organization.
