‘Unstoppable Joint Force’: US Coast Guard Shares Video Of Bella I Seizure In North Atlantic

Last Updated:January 08, 2026, 07:56 IST

Russia has condemned the seizure, calling it a violation of maritime law and “outright piracy,” after the vessel was boarded under a US federal court warrant.

The Bella I was previously sanctioned for allegedly smuggling cargo linked to Iranian-backed groups. (X @USCG)

The US Coast Guard on Wednesday released a video showing US forces boarding and seizing the oil tanker Bella I, renamed Marinera, in the North Atlantic as part of an intensified campaign to enforce sanctions on vessels tied to Venezuela’s oil trade.

In a post accompanying the video, the Coast Guard said the operation demonstrated “specialised capabilities, global impact, and an unstoppable joint force," and highlighted the role of coordinated US maritime law enforcement.

“Alongside @DeptofWar, @USCG conducted a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Bella I this morning in the North Atlantic. Following a sustained shadowing effort across the Atlantic by Coast Guard Cutter Munro, tactical Coast Guard teams leveraged our powerful maritime law enforcement authorities to secure Bella I through a tightly executed joint operation," the Coast Guard said in its statement.

“Through a whole of government effort and seamless coordination, our maritime fighting force is proud to own the sea, uphold international law, and defend America," it added.

The Bella I, previously sanctioned for allegedly smuggling cargo linked to Iranian-backed groups, was targeted after it evaded a US blockade on sanctioned oil vessels near Venezuela and sailed across the Atlantic, where it was tracked by the Coast Guard and US military aircraft before being intercepted.

The seizure is part of a broader US effort to crack down on so-called “shadow fleet" tankers that Washington says are used to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil to buyers while attempting to evade enforcement. The vessel had changed its name and reportedly flew a Russian flag on its hull in an apparent attempt to thwart pursuit.

The operation follows other recent actions by US authorities that have included the capture of another sanctioned tanker, underscoring heightened US pressure on Venezuela’s oil exports and enforcement of its sanctions regime.

Russia has condemned the seizure, calling it a violation of maritime law and “outright piracy," after the vessel was boarded under a US federal court warrant.

The Bella I’s capture marks one of the most high-profile maritime interdictions in Washington’s campaign to disrupt sanctioned oil trade linked to Venezuela and its allies.

News world ‘Unstoppable Joint Force’: US Coast Guard Shares Video Of Bella I Seizure In North Atlantic

Read More