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United States forces have seized a Venezuela linked Russian-flagged civilian oil tanker named 'Marinera' after it was chased by US Coast Guard warship
in the North Atlantic sea, news portal RT reported. NBC citied an American official saying that ‘Marinera' has been seized and 'is in US custody' citing. The operation was led by The Department of Homeland Security with the support of US military. Meanwhile Reuters also reported that US forces were trying to board the tanker the vessel.
A US official while speaking to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations said that the US military seized the vessel and handed over control to law enforcement officials.
The US had been pursuing the tanker since last month after it tried to evade a US blockade on sanctioned oil vessels around Venezuela.
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What we Know About Marinera Oil Tanker
As per reports, the Marinera was officially called 'Bella 1' that was under US sanctions since 2024. After US imposed sanctions, its name was changed to 'Marinera' and the vessel was traveling from Iran to Venezuela.
The ship was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The US Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean in December as it headed for Venezuela. The ship refused boarding and headed across the Atlantic.
The tanker later changed its direction and was heading back to the Atlantic to escape US blockade from being seized near Venezuela water. However, US forces with military assistance have now seized the tanker.
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US Military, Royal Air Force Were Tracking Marinera Movement in Atlantic
Earlier Wednesday, open-source maritime tracking sites showed its position as between Scotland and Iceland, traveling north. The US official also confirmed the ship was in the North Atlantic.
US military planes have flown over the vessel, and on Tuesday a Royal Air Force surveillance plane was shown on flight-tracking sites flying over the same are.
The tanker's seizure comes just days after US military forces conducted a surprise nighttime raid on Venezuela’s capital of Caracas and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
In the wake of this raid, Trump administration officials have said that they intended to continue to seize sanctioned vessels connected to the country.
With inputs from AP
