Moscow claims maritime law violation after US seizes Russian-flagged tanker

WASHINGTON/ MOSCOW: The United States has seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, officials said on Wednesday.

US European Command announced the seizure of the merchant vessel Bella 1 for “violations of US sanctions” in a social media post. The tanker had been under US pursuit since last month after allegedly attempting to evade a US blockade targeting sanctioned oil shipments connected to Venezuela.

Soon after, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem disclosed that US forces had also taken control of the tanker Sophia in the Caribbean. In a separate social media post, Noem said both vessels had “either last docked in Venezuela or were en route to it.”

Russia condemned the actions, accusing Washington of breaching maritime law after US forces seized a Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked tanker in the Atlantic Ocean. The operation followed days of heightened tensions after US forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Before the seizure, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was “following with concern the anomalous situation” surrounding the oil tanker Marinera. In a statement carried by the state-run Tass news agency, the ministry said a US Coast Guard vessel had been shadowing the tanker for several days, even though it was “approximately 4,000 kilometres from the American coast.”

Russia reportedly dispatched naval assets to escort the tanker, which Washington says violated US sanctions. US officials have also said they seized a second “stateless” tanker accused of operating as part of Venezuela’s so-called “dark fleet”.

That vessel was sanctioned in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo on behalf of a company linked to the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The US Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean in December as it headed toward Venezuela, but the crew refused access and diverted across the Atlantic.

Shipping databases show that during this period, Bella 1 was renamed Marinera and reflagged to Russia. A US official confirmed that the crew had painted a Russian flag on the hull. On Wednesday, open-source maritime tracking data placed the vessel between Scotland and Iceland, moving northward, a location later confirmed by US officials. US military aircraft have conducted overflights of the tanker, and flight-tracking data on Tuesday showed a Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft operating in the same area.

US European Command said the seizure supported President Donald Trump’s proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that “threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere.” Officials in the Trump administration have said they plan to continue seizing sanctioned vessels linked to Venezuela. Russia’s Transport Ministry later confirmed that the tanker Marinera had been captured by US forces. The ministry said the vessel was boarded “on the high seas outside the territorial waters of any state,” after which “contact with the vessel was lost.”

It said Marinera had received a temporary permit on December 24, 2025, to fly the Russian flag in accordance with Russian and international law, adding that the seizure violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantees freedom of navigation in international waters.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was “closely monitoring” the situation and noted that Russian nationals were believed to be among the crew. It urged the US to ensure “humane and dignified treatment” of the sailors and to allow them to return home “as quickly as possible.” The tanker was first targeted late last year after reportedly attempting to approach Venezuela. During that pursuit, the crew refused a US Coast Guard boarding attempt, reversed course into the Atlantic, and changed both the vessel’s name and flag.