U.S. seizes Russian-flagged tanker in North Atlantic amid escalating sanctions enforcement

The United States has intensified its maritime crackdown by boarding a Russian-flagged tanker allegedly evading sanctions, prompting international scrutiny and concerns over escalating tensions in the North Atlantic.

U.S. forces have intensified a high-stakes maritime confrontation in the North Atlantic after a Russian-flagged tanker that U.S. authorities say was evading sanctions-related enforcement came under prolonged pursuit and was eventually boarded, officials and...

According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. aircraft specialising in anti-submarine warfare were deployed to shadow Russian naval vessels that Moscow had dispatched to escort the tanker, which U.S. authorities say had earlier slipped through a U.S. blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan shipments. The vessel, originally known as Bella 1 and later renamed Marinera, was the subject of a multi-week chase that spanned the Caribbean and the North Atlantic, U.S. and international accounts show.

U.S. European Command confirmed the vessel was seized in the North Atlantic “pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court”, and U.S. forces including Coast Guard tactical teams and federal law enforcement personnel boarded the ship, The Washington Post and Anadolu Agency reported. The Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense coordinated the operation, Anadolu Agency said, and U.S. social media posts by military accounts underscored continued readiness. The U.S. military’s Southern Command posted on social media that it “remains ready to support our US government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region. “Our sea services are vigilant, agile, and postured to track vessels of interest. When the call comes, we will be there.”

The operation follows U.S. moves to tighten control over Venezuelan oil flows. The Associated Press reported that the Biden/Trump administration, reports differ over actors and timing in various accounts, has been seizing vessels it deems part of a “shadow fleet” circumventing sanctions, and senior U.S. officials have outlined plans to channel proceeds from sales of seized Venezuelan crude into U.S.-controlled accounts, saying revenues would eventually benefit the Venezuelan people while preserving leverage for political change. The AP said the U.S. has seized multiple ships suspected of violating sanctions and is negotiating commercial arrangements with Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA.

Time magazine and other outlets traced the Bella 1/Marinera’s movements, saying the ship had reflagged and repainted its name during the pursuit and had been linked by U.S. authorities to prior sanctionable shipments. Time reported that the vessel had been suspected of moving Iranian-linked oil to Venezuela and that the seizure was carried out after a prolonged pursuit; it added that while Russia had earlier sent naval assets to escort the ship, those ships were not present at the moment U.S. forces completed the boarding.

The seizure has provoked sharp reactions. Russian officials and state-aligned media characterised the action as provocative; The National cited a senior Russian legislator who called the seizure “outright ‘piracy'”, according to TASS. Moscow demanded fair treatment of the detained crew and expressed concern about the legal and diplomatic ramifications. British defence officials, while condemning sanctions evasion, warned of the risks of escalation as naval forces from multiple states operated in close proximity.

U.S. statements framed the operation as enforcement of sanctions and maritime law. Anadolu Agency quoted Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth saying the “blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in full effect , anywhere in the world.” The Washington Post said the Coast Guard led the boarding with military support and that U.S. federal law enforcement personnel were on board the tanker.

Analysts say the episode illustrates how sanctions enforcement, maritime interdiction and great-power naval activity can rapidly intersect. Industry and government data compiled by news outlets show an increase in the use of deceptive practices by some tankers, reflagging, name changes and route-diversion, to evade sanctions, prompting more aggressive interdiction tactics by enforcement agencies. That, in turn, raises the potential for miscalculation when naval assets from other major powers shadow or escort targeted vessels.

U.S. officials have argued the measures are necessary to uphold sanctions and choke off revenues to regimes and entities they deem destabilising. Critics, including some foreign governments, view unilateral boardings on the high seas of vessels flying other flags as an escalation that complicates diplomacy and maritime norms.

The situation remains fluid. Media reports indicate the Marinera was tracked in the North Atlantic heading toward Iceland prior to the boarding, and U.S. officials said the operation proceeded without interference from Russian vessels. At the same time, diplomatic channels are likely to be tested as Washington seeks to justify legal grounds for the seizures while Moscow insists on the protection of ships it asserts are under its flag or escort.

This episode follows a broader U.S. campaign of seizures and sanctions enforcement around Venezuelan oil that, according to reporting, includes plans to manage and monetise seized cargos under U.S. control while negotiating terms with PDVSA to stabilise Venezuela’s collapsed production sector. The unfolding events are expected to draw scrutiny from allies and adversaries alike as governments assess the legal, strategic and humanitarian implications of unilateral maritime enforcement in an increasingly contested ocean environment.

Source: Noah Wire Services