US military and Coast Guard forces seized a Russian‑flagged oil tanker, Marinera, in the North Atlantic after a prolonged pursuit that stretched across ocean waters and heightened geopolitical tensions between Washington DC and Moscow. The US had been pursuing the tanker since last month after it tried to evade a US blockade on sanctioned oil vessels around Venezuela.

The vessel had evaded an American effort to crack down on Venezuela’s energy exports, the New York Times reported quoting US officials. The development comes 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.

This also comes hours after the US seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean sea, according to the US Southern Command.

The vessel, a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker”, was apprehended in a pre-dawn operation, the military added.

“The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea,” the US military had said in a statement.

What do we know about the Russia-linked tanker’s seizure?

The tanker, named Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, is part of a so‑called “shadow fleet” of aging vessels used by Russia to transport oil from sanctioned countries. It was targeted by US authorities after it resisted boarding attempts in the Caribbean in late December.

According to multiple reports, the crew refused to comply with US Coast Guard demands in international waters, prompting a pursuit that lasted more than two weeks.

The United States, however, had continued to shadow the tanker as it moved through the eastern Atlantic, reportedly south of Iceland and potentially heading toward northern European or Russian ports. US forces, including Coast Guard cutters and military aircraft, have maintained track of the vessel.

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RT has also shared visuals of the seized tanker.

Russia’s response

Reports indicated that the Kremlin has deployed a submarine and additional naval assets to escort and protect the Marinera while it makes its way across the Atlantic, signalling Moscow’s concern over US enforcement actions that target oil linked to Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. Moscow has formally protested the US pursuit and asked Washington to cease efforts to seize the tanker.

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Not US’ first attempt

This is not the first time US forces have tried to stop the tanker. In December, the crew reportedly repelled an attempted boarding near Venezuela.

In an apparent effort to thwart the interception, Bella 1’s crew had painted a Russian flag on its hull and re‑registered it under the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, renaming the vessel Marinera.

Notably, the unusual reflagging move complicates the legal basis for US seizure, as ships under a national flag are generally afforded protections under international maritime law.