US seizes Russian oil tanker in Atlantic

The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker after a lengthy pursuit in the Atlantic Ocean. The US Coast Guard and military were directly involved in the sensational operation, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a social media post from the US European Command.

The tanker, known as the Bella 1, was blacklisted by the US in 2024 for illegally transporting oil. Last month, the US Coast Guard attempted to seize the ship in international waters off Venezuela, but it managed to escape. US P-8 surveillance aircraft then flew from Suffolk, England, and tracked the tanker’s course across the North Atlantic for several days.

At one point in the chase, the ship’s crew painted a Russian flag on it. Russia later re-registered the ship as the Marinera. Although Russia sent diplomatic messages to US forces to stop pursuing the ship, the Trump administration considered the ship stateless and carried out the operation.

The military presence in the UK was increased to make the operation a success. At least 12 C-17 aircraft, some V-22 Ospreys and AC-130 gunships were deployed to Fairford and Lakenheath air bases since early January.

The operation is seen as part of a US push to pressure Venezuela after the US raid on Caracas on Saturday that captured Nicolas Maduro. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the operation is aimed at maintaining influence over the interim Venezuelan government and enforcing sanctions.