Exclusive: US seizing Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit

[RoseTrellis]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The United States is attempting to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker with links to Venezuela after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic and as a Russian submarine and warship were close by, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
The seizure, which could stoke tensions with Russia, came after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, slipped through a U.S. maritime "blockade" of sanctioned tankers and rebuffed U.S. Coast Guard efforts to board it.

The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was being carried out by the Coast Guard and U.S. military.
This appeared to be the first time in recent memory that the U.S. military has attempted to seize a Russian-flagged vessel.
They added that Russian military vessels were in the general vicinity of the operation, including a Russian submarine. It was unclear how close the vessels were to the operation, which was taking place close to Iceland.

The U.S. Coast Guard first attempted to intercept the vessel last month, but it refused to be boarded. Since then, it has registered under a Russian flag.



Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-seizing-venezuela-linked-oil-tanker-after-weeks-long-pursuit-2026-01-07/

---

On edit - more reliable news sources picking this up, original RT source here..
Military forces, presumably American, are attempting to board Russian-flagged civilian tanker 'Marinera' RIGHT NOW — RT source

RT has obtained first exclusive visual confirmation of the boarding attempt

Link to tweet

?s=61&t=D5bZL0vhU8KaFBareC8u6 g

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Reuters is reporting this too, as an exclusive, but there's a subscription required.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-seizing-venezuela-linked-oil-tanker-after-weeks-long-pursuit-2026-01-07/

[RoseTrellis]

5. Thanks for that!

Definitely a better source than RT…

“WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The United States is attempting to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker with links to Venezuela after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic and as a Russian submarine and warship were close by, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
The seizure, which could stoke tensions with Russia, came after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, slipped through a U.S. maritime "blockade" of sanctioned tankers and rebuffed U.S. Coast Guard efforts to board it.
The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was being carried out by the Coast Guard and U.S. military.
This appeared to be the first time in recent memory that the U.S. military has attempted to seize a Russian-flagged vessel.
They added that Russian military vessels were in the general vicinity of the operation, including a Russian submarine. It was unclear how close the vessels were to the operation, which was taking place close to Iceland.
The U.S. Coast Guard first attempted to intercept the vessel last month, but it refused to be boarded. Since then, it has registered under a Russian flag.”

[Ray Bruns]

2. Other reports have a Russian warship and submarine in the area.

What will Vlad do?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

10. Militarily?

Not a damned thing, Putin's military high command knows that they have no chance of taking on the US Navy.
Putin will rant and rave, issue hollow threats, but that's about all he can do.

However, this is just another illegal seizure by an illegal regime.

[Martin68]

14. Russia isn't going to start a shooting war over a police action to enforce a blockade against Venezuela.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Would recommend a different source (RT is forbidden on DU now)

CNN has it up now - US begins operation to seize Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/07/politics/oil-tanker-us-seizure

AP also threw up a breaking banner - https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-77f2c1441dda8217b37f9e38c3ae9131

[RoseTrellis]

7. Thank you!

Updated the post - thank you

[BumRushDaShow]

9. ...

[JohnnyRingo]

4. I think this is a kind of iffy report.

I'll save my outrage for confirmation.
My outrage reserves have been running low these days.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Whole pile of M$M have it now.

My phone and iPad are "be-dooping" off the hook with the "breaking news" banners!

[lostincalifornia]

6. Here is the Bloomberg's report on it

US Attempts to Seize Russia-Flagged Ship ‘Marinera’ in Atlantic

US forces are attempting to seize a Venezuela-linked, Russia-flagged ship in the north Atlantic that’s been at the center of a dramatic sea chase across the ocean, according to people familiar with the matter.

The operation at the tanker — now named the Marinera — is ongoing, the people said, who asked not to be identified discussing security operations.

It’s the latest development in a nautical hunt that’s involved the US coast guard as well as American and UK surveillance aircraft. Unverified videos published by Russian media outlet RT showed at least one MH-6 Little Bird helicopter, which is used by US special operations forces, flying near the Marinera.

The tanker, sailing through waters between Iceland and Scotland, changed direction just before noon UK time on Wednesday, according to vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Having been sailing northeast, it moved southeast. It also slowed down slightly — to around 8.5 knots — from 9.2 earlier in the day. It’s not known if that was due to the actions of the US.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/us-attempts-to-seize-russia-flagged-ship-marinera-in-atlantic

jill stein's view that "Hillary was more dangerous than Trump was always bullshit".

[RoseTrellis]

11. MarineTraffic

Ais tracking from Marine traffic shows likely intercept and change of course

Track it yourself here.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid 11469

Link to tweet

?s=61&t=D5bZL0vhU8KaFBareC8u6g

[mitch96]

12. This is some spooky sh*t...Another view and comment. I did not know the Brits were involved too...

I've been watching this guy for years about the Ukraine war.. a straight shooter

[nitpicked]

13. Link to The Hill

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5676281-us-seizes-venezuela-tanker/

[sboatcar]

15. I don't get why it took two weeks to catch it

This is an idiotic move by our government, but seriously, if the intention was to capture it, why wait until it gets to the stormy dangerous waters of the north atlantic? Its just all so bizarre.

[RoseTrellis]

16. More favorable position?

Perhaps they were waiting until it was far enough north for ships from Norfolk to intercept it, instead of having the ships in the carribean leave and pursue.
I’m also hearing European assets and facilities were used to support this operation, so there is that

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. And the US has seized another tanker, in the Caribbean

A second tanker - the M/T Sophia - was accused by the US of "conducting illicit activities" and boarded in the Caribbean.
...
Separately, the US Southern Command announced on Wednesday that the defence and homeland security departments "apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident".

"The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea. The US Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the US for final disposition."

The US Southern Command also posted a video showing a helicopter circling over a vessel.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y2v8ngl14o

I think I heard a news report that the Sophia was carrying oil, but I can't find online reports saying that, or that it's empty.