US says it has seized sanctioned tanker in Atlantic
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More news: The US European Command said via a post on X that the US Department of Justice and Homeland Security have "today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions".
"The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro."
"This seizure supports @POTUS Proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere. The operation was executed by DHS components with support from @DeptofWar, showcasing a whole-of-government approach to protect the homeland," the post continued.
The announcement was made shortly after Russian broadcaster RT published images that appeared to show a helicopter close to a ship that appeared to be the Marinera.
US forces launch operation to seize sanctioned oil tanker
The news: US officials confirmed that US forces have moved to seize an oil tanker that had fled the US blockade of sanctioned vessels near Venezuela and is currently being shadowed by a Russian submarine in the north Atlantic ocean.
The context: Confirming earlier reports that US forces had been increasing surveillance of the ship, US officials told the WSJ and BBC that helicopters and at least one Coast Guard vessel were being used to take control of the tanker, the Marinera, on Wednesday under the Coast Guard’s law-enforcement authority.
The officials said that tanker captains and mechanics would be sent on board to operate the ship.
The ship, which was previously known as the Bella 1, had been fleeing from US seizure for over two weeks. Last week the ship was reflagged from a Guyanese to a Russian vessel last week.
In 2024 the Bella 1 was sanctioned by the US for allegedly carrying black-market Iranian oil.
The sources: Wall Street Journal, BBC, Bloomberg, US European Command X
