The US Coast Guard, backed by additional US military assets, seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after a roughly two-week pursuit that included a failed boarding attempt on Dec. 20. A US official said the Coast Guard boarded the ship between Iceland and Britain without incident and encountered no resistance. The vessel, formerly Bella 1, was entered on the Russian register as Marinera and reportedly displayed a painted Russian flag. Russia denied any wrongdoing and said the ship was operating under international law.
US Coast Guard Seizes Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker After Two-Week Pursuit in North Atlantic
The US Coast Guard, supported by other US military assets, seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic on Wednesday after an approximately two-week pursuit that included a failed boarding attempt on Dec. 20. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted dramatic footage of the operation to X (formerly Twitter).
According to a US official briefed on the operation who spoke to The New York Times on the condition of anonymity, Coast Guard personnel boarded the vessel without incident and encountered no resistance from the crew. The boarding occurred while the tanker was sailing between Iceland and Britain.
In a statement posted to X, the US military confirmed the seizure and said it was carried out with support from other US forces. Earlier in the vessel’s voyage, US authorities had tried to intercept the tanker in the Caribbean amid allegations it violated sanctions related to Venezuelan oil exports; that earlier effort on Dec. 20 was unsuccessful.
The tanker, previously known as the Bella 1, was listed on the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping on Dec. 31 under the new name Marinera, according to reports. Media accounts say the crew painted a Russian flag on the hull to indicate a change in the ship’s claimed nationality.
Russian state media outlet Russia Today published images that appear to show a helicopter approaching the tanker and reported that US forces were attempting to board. Russia’s foreign ministry, speaking to state news agency TASS, said the vessel was operating in accordance with international maritime law and criticized the increased US and NATO attention as “disproportionate to its peaceful status.”
US officials told The New York Times that although Russia had dispatched at least one naval ship earlier to rendezvous with the tanker, no Russian vessels were in the immediate vicinity when the Coast Guard conducted the boarding, avoiding a potential direct standoff between US and Russian forces.
What We Know
- The boarding was reported to be peaceful and met without hostility.
- The operation followed prior enforcement actions related to alleged sanctions violations involving Venezuelan oil.
- The ship appears to have been reflagged and renamed during its voyage.
“The world’s criminals are on notice,” Secretary Kristi Noem wrote alongside footage of the operation posted to X.
The seizure remains an unfolding international incident. US and Russian statements present differing accounts of the tanker’s status and legality; further official details and legal determinations may follow as authorities investigate ownership, registry changes and any alleged sanctions violations.
Help us improve.
