US Siezes two Russian oil tankers

The United States military has seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic following a high-stakes, two-week pursuit. The operation, supported by British surveillance aircraft, occurred on Wednesday after the vessel was intercepted between Iceland and the United Kingdom. This rare direct confrontation between Washington and Moscow marks the first known U.S. military seizure of a Russian-flagged vessel in recent history.

The vessel, formerly known as the Bella 1, had been under U.S. sanctions since June 2024 for allegedly transporting illicit cargo for a Hezbollah-owned company. In December, the tanker evaded a U.S. naval blockade near Venezuela and fled into international waters. During the pursuit, the crew renamed the ship, registered it in a Russian database, and painted a Russian flag on the hull to claim sovereign protection.

Russia responded by deploying a submarine and other naval assets to escort the tanker, though they did not reach the ship before U.S. forces boarded. The Russian transport ministry condemned the seizure as "piracy" and a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, demanding the return of its citizens. Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed it provided "pre-planned operational support" to disrupt what it called a "nefarious" sanctions-evasion network.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the tanker's crew may be transferred to the U.S. for prosecution. The seizure is expected to serve as a legal precedent for future operations against Russia’s "shadow fleet" in international waters. Diplomatic tensions remain high as Moscow continues to monitor the situation while balance its broader geopolitical negotiations with the Trump administration.

Key Takeaways

The U.S. military successfully boarded and seized the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic after it evaded a blockade near Venezuela.

Russia attempted to protect the vessel by deploying a submarine and re-registering the ship under its national flag during the two-week pursuit.

The White House confirmed the crew could face criminal prosecution in the United States as part of a strict enforcement of international sanctions

Adapted From

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/07/russia-submarine-escort-shadow-fleet-tanker-us-sanctions