In an operation that has sent ripples through the global oil market and reignited tensions between world powers, the United States seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela on January 7, 2026, including the Russian-flagged Marinera—formerly known as the Bella-1—in the North Atlantic. According to ABC News, the U.S. Coast Guard, backed by a suite of military assets, executed the seizure after meticulously tracking the vessel for two weeks. The operation, which unfolded south of Iceland and northwest of the British Isles, marked a significant escalation in the Biden administration's efforts to clamp down on sanctioned oil shipments from Venezuela and its partners.
The Marinera’s journey had been anything but straightforward. In December 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard first attempted to intercept the Bella-1 as it sailed the Caribbean, apparently en route to Venezuela to collect a load of crude oil. The tanker, however, evaded capture by abruptly changing course and switching off its AIS transponder—a familiar tactic among so-called "shadow fleet" vessels designed to mask their location and identity, as reported by SOF News. The ship only resumed transmissions as it made its way northward into the open Atlantic, drawing the attention of open-source maritime trackers and international authorities alike.
The vessel’s checkered history is emblematic of the murky world of sanctioned oil trade. Once flying a false Panamanian flag, the Bella-1 was suspected to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet," a network of ships Moscow allegedly uses to sidestep international restrictions. On December 31, 2025, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping listed the ship as a Russian vessel, and its crew went so far as to paint a Russian flag on its hull, according to ABC News. This move, however, did little to deter the U.S. from pursuing the tanker across international waters.
Surveillance of the Marinera was a multinational affair. U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, operating from RAF Mildenhall in England, worked in tandem with aircraft from Ireland and the UK to keep tabs on the elusive ship. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed its support for the operation, providing basing, aerial surveillance, and the assistance of the RFA Tideforce, a tanker equipped with a helipad. "The UK has provided enabling support to the United States at their request to interdict the vessel Bella 1 today," the Ministry said in a statement, emphasizing that the support was given in full compliance with international law.
When the moment came, the seizure was executed with military precision. SOF News detailed how a special operations unit—likely including U.S. Navy SEALs—supported by the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the U.S. Coast Guard, and a host of aircraft such as the CV-22 Osprey and AC-130 Ghostrider, conducted the boarding. The Coast Guard Cutter Munro, which had shadowed the Marinera into the North Atlantic, played a central role. Despite speculation that Russian naval vessels might intervene, none were present during the operation; Russia’s response was limited to sharp diplomatic protests.
The Russian Ministry of Transport swiftly condemned the seizure, insisting that "U.S. naval forces boarded the vessel in international waters outside the territorial waters of any state, and contact with the vessel was lost." The ministry further asserted, "No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states."
The U.S., for its part, maintained that the Marinera was a "Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel" that had transported sanctioned oil, and that it was "deemed stateless after flying a false flag and it had a judicial seizure order," according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. "The crew will be subject to prosecution," she told reporters, underscoring the administration’s hardline stance.
This operation was not an isolated incident. On the same day, the U.S. Southern Command announced the seizure of another sanctioned tanker, the M/T Sophia, in the Caribbean Sea. Like the Marinera, the Sophia was a "stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker"—this one last registered as Panamanian-flagged but flying the flag of Cameroon. The Sophia had departed Venezuela in early January with its transponder off, likely bound for China, and was apprehended in international waters, as reported by SOF News.
The campaign against sanctioned oil tankers has ramped up in recent months. Since December 2025, at least four such vessels have been seized by U.S. forces, with five more reportedly attempting to evade the Venezuela blockade by switching their flags to Russia. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the U.S. commitment in a post on X: "The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT." Disrupting the Russian shadow fleet has become a priority for Washington and its allies, with hundreds of dark fleet oil tankers sanctioned and Russia’s oil revenues reportedly declining by over 25% in the past year.
These seizures are part of a broader strategy. In December, President Donald Trump announced what he described as a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela—a policy that, according to ABC News, remains firmly in place. On January 6, 2026, Trump revealed that Venezuela would turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the U.S., representing the first tranche of oil to be placed under American control. The administration intends to oversee the sale of Venezuela’s oil indefinitely, with some sanctions against Caracas to be lifted in exchange for cooperation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not mince words about the leverage the U.S. now wields over Venezuela’s oil industry. "We are in the midst right now, and in fact, about to execute on a deal to take all the oil. They have oil that is stuck in Venezuela. They can't move it because of our quarantine and because it's sanctioned. We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil," Rubio told reporters after a classified briefing. "They want that oil that was seized to be part of this deal. They understand that the only way they can move oil and generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States."
While the United Kingdom has thrown its support behind the U.S. actions, the diplomatic fallout with Russia continues to simmer. The Russian government insists that the U.S. has violated international law, while U.S. officials point to the vessels’ use of false flags and their stateless status as grounds for enforcement. The international community is watching closely, as the standoff over sanctioned oil tankers becomes yet another flashpoint in the ongoing contest between the world’s major powers.
As new details emerge about the Marinera’s seizure and the broader campaign against sanctioned oil, the world waits to see how these high-stakes maneuvers will reshape the global energy landscape—and whether they might trigger further confrontations on the high seas.
