US begins operation to seize Venezuela-linked oil tanker
The United States has launched an operation to seize the Marinera, a Venezuela-linked oil tanker previously known as Bella-1, in the North Atlantic. This action targets a vessel sanctioned for involvement in illicit oil trade and violations of U.S. sanctions. The operation involves the U.S. Coast Guard and military forces, following weeks of pursuit.
U.S. forces confirmed the seizure on January 7, 2026, pursuant to a federal court warrant, after tracking the tanker since late December 2025. The ship, now flying a Russian flag and escorted by Russian naval assets including a submarine, had evaded an earlier boarding attempt near Venezuela. It forms part of a “shadow fleet” used to transport sanctioned Venezuelan and Iranian oil.
This seizure aligns with intensified U.S. pressure on Venezuela after the recent capture of former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on drug trafficking charges. President Donald Trump has vowed a blockade to curb Venezuelan oil revenue, with two other tankers (Skipper and Centuries) already seized since December 10, 2025. The moves have heightened tensions with Russia and China, who back Venezuela’s oil trade.
