US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in Atlantic after two-week pursuit

The US has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean in a high-stakes operation that could risk confrontation with the Kremlin after Moscow reportedly dispatched a submarine to safeguard the vessel.

US European Command said on Wednesday that it had boarded the Marinera over alleged sanctions violations, bringing to an end a dramatic two-week pursuit that began in the Caribbean and concluded in the Atlantic.

The Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT earlier published two grainy photographs showing a helicopter approaching the Marinera tanker, saying an operation was under way.

The seizure – the first known US military seizure of a Russian-flagged vessel in recent history – is the latest demonstration of brazen US military power and reach.

The US Coast Guard said on Wednesday it had separately intercepted another dark-fleet tanker that is under sanctions, the M Sophia, in a pre-dawn operation in the Caribbean.

Commenting on the twin operations, the White House signalled it would continue to seize Venezuela-linked oil vessels after Donald Trump last month imposed what he described as a “complete blockade” on ships transporting oil for Caracas.

“The US will enforce all sanctions,” the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters.

The Marinera had been navigating in the Atlantic between Iceland and the UK, according to ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic. The Wall Street Journal reported that several helicopters and at least one coastguard vessel were used to take control of the tanker.

Britain provided support to the US in its operation, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The Kremlin’s immediate reaction to the seizure has been notably muted, with Moscow appearing to continue its efforts to improve ties with Washington under Trump in the hope of securing his favour in talks over Ukraine.

Russia’s transport ministry said in a statement that US forces had boarded the vessel outside the territorial waters of any state and that contact with it had been lost.

The ministry cited the 1982 UN convention on the law of the sea, which says “no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states”.

The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, wrote on X: “The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT – anywhere in the world.”

The pursuit of the Marinera began after it turned back into the Atlantic while travelling from Iran to Venezuela, having attempted to evade a US blockade targeting sanction-hit oil tankers operating near Venezuelan waters.

The operation is likely to strain relations with Vladimir Putin, coming at a sensitive moment as negotiations over a potential peace deal in Ukraine continue and after the US capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, a longstanding Kremlin ally.

Ukraine’s foreign minister said Kyiv welcomed the seizure of the tanker, adding it was a good example of how to act against Moscow and said it showcased “President Trump’s resolute leadership”.

“We welcome such an approach to dealing with Russia: act, not fear. This is also relevant to the peace process and bringing a lasting peace closer,” Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.

The vessel is part of the so-called shadow fleet moving oil for Russia, Iran and Venezuela. It was placed under sanctions by the US in 2024 over allegations it carried illicit cargo for a Hezbollah-owned company.

Initial reports suggest the ageing tanker is empty, having been en route to pick up Venezuelan oil before changing course. Even so, Moscow appears to have gone to considerable lengths to protect the vessel, raising questions about why it is willing to risk a standoff with the west over it.

The Wall Street Journal reported late on Tuesday that the Russian navy had deployed a submarine to escort the tanker, heightening the stakes of any confrontation in the North Atlantic.

In the 24 hours preceding the operation, western surveillance flights were observed over the vessel, including aircraft from US bases in Iceland, and RAF Rivet Joint and P-8 Poseidon planes from the UK, which are capable of detecting submarines.

In December, the crew repelled an attempted US boarding near Venezuelan waters. The vessel was subsequently renamed from Bella 1 to Marinera, a Russian flag was painted on its hull and it was added to Russia’s official shipping registry. Moscow later lodged a formal diplomatic protest demanding that Washington halt its pursuit.

The tanker departed the Gulf of Oman in November, transiting the Suez canal and the strait of Gibraltar before crossing the Atlantic in early December. As US pressure on Venezuela intensified – culminating in the capture of Maduro – the vessel stopped abruptly near the Caribbean on 15 December and reversed course, heading back towards Europe.

Marinera’s return journey across the Atlantic has been markedly atypical, according to marine transport experts. Instead of taking the usual route through the Channel, the tanker veered sharply north, steering into the stretch of ocean between Iceland and Ireland.

Mikhail Zvinchuk, an influential military blogger with close ties to Russia’s defence ministry, said the decision to reflag the vessel under Russian jurisdiction shortly before its seizure had placed Moscow in an extremely awkward position.

He said the move “sets a precedent for further operations against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, not only in the Atlantic but in other regions of the world as well”.

Registry data reviewed by the New York Times showed that at least three other oil tankers that had operated in Venezuelan waters in recent weeks had since been reflagged under the Russian banner, pointing to a growing trend of Moscow extending its registry to vessels facing US sanctions.

The move could complicate relations between Moscow and Washington at a time when Trump has shown frustration with Putin over Russia’s continued fighting in Ukraine.