U.S. European Command confirmed the North Atlantic seizure as Homeland Security released video of a separate boarding near the Caribbean.
NEW YORK — The United States on Wednesday seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic and took control of a second ship in international waters near the Caribbean, capping a two-week pursuit tied to sanctions enforcement on Venezuela-linked shipments, officials said.
U.S. officials said the first vessel, the Marinera, is the same tanker long known as the Bella-1, part of a network accused of using deceptive tactics to move sanctioned oil. The operation unfolded hours before dawn as the Coast Guard executed back-to-back boardings under federal authority, with European Command confirming the North Atlantic seizure. The actions highlight a sharpened maritime posture announced in December and signal potential friction with Moscow, which has criticized U.S. actions at sea and vowed to defend Russian-flagged shipping.
The Marinera had eluded an attempted U.S. boarding on Dec. 20 while reportedly empty and bound toward Venezuela, according to officials familiar with the tracking effort. On Dec. 31, the ship appeared under a Russian registry with its hull freshly painted to show a Russian flag. After the reflagging, the vessel reactivated its transponder, and commercial tracking placed it in the North Atlantic between Iceland and the United Kingdom. European Command later posted that the Marinera, formerly the M/V Bella 1, was seized in that area. In a separate message, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said teams also stopped the M/T Sophia in international waters near the Caribbean.
Russia’s Transport Ministry issued a statement condemning the North Atlantic operation, saying no state may use force against a vessel duly registered to another country in international waters. The United Kingdom said it supported the U.S. action. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote that a blockade against sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in effect “anywhere in the world.” Noem said both targeted ships were either last docked in Venezuela or headed there. Images released by U.S. officials showed the Sophia secured at sea during daylight as boarding teams worked on deck.
The seizures come amid a broader U.S. crackdown on the “dark fleet,” a term used for tankers that switch names, flags or tracking signals to obscure their movements. The Bella-1 previously flew a false Panamanian flag, officials said, and is suspected of shifting identities to avoid scrutiny. The back-to-back interdictions indicate the maritime phase of sanctions enforcement is widening beyond regional waters and into high-seas operations coordinated across commands. The Coast Guard said it had monitored the Marinera for two weeks with aircraft and cutters before making its move.
Authorities did not immediately disclose where the Marinera and Sophia will be escorted, what ports will receive them, or the exact court filings that underpin the boardings. Forfeiture petitions, sanctions notices and crew interviews typically follow such detentions. Officials said updates would be provided after initial safety checks and custody transfers. As of late morning, both ships remained under U.S. control at sea while logistics teams arranged the next steps.
Witness accounts from commercial traffic described multiple patrol aircraft and at least one cutter converging ahead of sunrise, followed by radio silence as boarding teams went to work. “It was quick and professional,” said a mariner who reported seeing lights on a stopped tanker before dawn. Russian officials repeated demands for humane treatment of the crew. U.S. officials emphasized that no injuries were reported during either operation.
By afternoon, the Coast Guard said further details would come once the vessels reached designated anchorages and federal agencies outlined the legal path forward.
Author note: Last updated January 7, 2026.