A military operation has been carried out in the North Atlantic: According to the US Coast Guard, a “runaway” oil tanker from Venezuela was successfully boarded. The crew did not offer any resistance or cause any hostilities, an official told the New York Times.
The tanker is the 333 m long and 60 m wide Russian tanker “Marinera” (ex “Bella-1”). The ship is attributed to President Vladimir Putin’s so-called shadow fleet. The tanker had apparently previously circumvented US sanctions against Iran, Russia and Venezuela. The ship had previously been tracked by the US Coast Guard on its way from Venezuela back to Russia.
The US imposed sanctions on the tanker, then named “Bella 1”, in 2024 for allegedly transporting Iranian oil in connection with sanctioned networks, including those with Hezbollah links. The vessel changed names and flags several times, most recently to the Russian-flagged “Marinera” in late 2025, to avoid capture.
USCG tracked vessel in the Caribbean
The US Coast Guard had been tracking the tanker in the Caribbean since December 2025; after the ship changed course from Venezuela, it headed for the Northwest Atlantic. As of early January 2026, Russia is escorting it with a warship while US interception attempts continue; last position in the Northwest Atlantic towards Curaçao.
The “Marinera” is now the third case since September in which US forces have taken military control of oil tankers from other countries. A total of 16 ships are said to have broken through the blockade by using false names, falsifying their tracking data or completely switching off their location recognition.
The US mobilized around ten military transport planes and helicopters to move the tanker towards Europe.
The U.S. European Command, meanwhile, released a statement on “X” confirming the seizure and stating that the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense had “seized” the tanker in the North Atlantic for violations of U.S. sanctions.
The boarding of the tanker could lead to major diplomatic tensions: Russia’s foreign ministry said it was monitoring the situation surrounding the tanker “with concern”. The ship is sailing in international waters in the North Atlantic and is flying the Russian flag. It is complying with all rules. “It is unclear to us why a Russian ship is receiving increased and in any case disproportionate attention from the US military and NATO,” Moscow said.
Meanwhile, US authorities have intercepted a stateless and sanctioned tanker from the shadow fleet in international waters in the Caribbean. The tanker in question is the “Sophia”, which is currently being escorted by the US Coast Guard to a US port, where a decision will be made on how to proceed. According to the authorities, the operation took place without incident and is part of Operation Southern Spear.
Armed forces also board and seize “Sophia”
The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced that the Sophia had been intercepted, boarded and seized. The command described the tanker as a stateless, sanctioned vessel of a so-called “shadow fleet”. The Panamanian-flagged oil tanker was illegally flying the flag of Cameroon, according to a US government official who spoke to the New York Times. The operation was carried out by forces from the US Department of Defense in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security. The US Coast Guard is currently escorting the ship back to the United States. (JWy)
