US begins operation to seize Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela
By Nic Robertson, Natasha Bertrand, CNN
(CNN) — The US has begun an operation to seize an oil tanker linked to Venezuela after tracking it across the Atlantic, a source with knowledge of the operation told CNN on Wednesday.
Originally called the Bella 1, the tanker was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for operating within a “shadow fleet” of tankers transporting illicit oil.
News of the operation was first reported by Reuters, which quoted two sources as saying the operation was being carried out by the Coast Guard and US military.
The US Coast Guard tried to seize the tanker last month when it was near Venezuela, but US forces were unable to board it after the ship turned around and fled.
The US continued to pursue the vessel as it headed northeast, and US P-8 surveillance aircraft were deployed out of RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, to surveil the tanker for days ahead of its seizure as it made its way north and past the UK coast, according to open-source flight data.
At some point while being pursued, the crew of the tanker painted a Russian flag on its hull, claiming it was sailing under Russian protection.
Shortly thereafter, the vessel appeared on Russia’s official register of ships under a new name — the Marinera. Russia filed a formal diplomatic request last month demanding that the US stop pursuing the vessel.
By claiming Russian status, the legalities of seizing the tanker could become more complicated, but two sources familiar with the matter said the Trump administration hasn’t recognized that status and considers the vessel to be stateless.
The US repositioned military assets to the UK ahead of seizing the tanker, CNN has reported.
At least 12 US C-17s landed at Fairford and Lakenheath airbases between January 3 and 5, many originating from airfields in the US.
V-22 Ospreys were also active in the UK over the past several days, with flight data appearing to show them running training missions in the eastern UK out of Fairford air base. And two AC-130 gunships were seen arriving at Mildenhall base in the UK on Sunday.
The US last used Special Operations Forces and assets to help interdict a sanctioned tanker on December 11, when it supported a US Coast Guard operation near the coast of Venezuela to seize the Skipper, a very large crude carrier that was falsely flying Guyana’s flag.
President Donald Trump last month announced a “complete blockade” on sanctioned oil tankers attempting to enter or leave Venezuela, as a way to pressure the regime of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The US captured Maduro from a compound in Caracas early Saturday morning, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US will continue to enforce the blockade as “leverage” over the interim Venezuelan government.
The story headline has been updated.
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