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According to a report from CBS News, a US-authorized interception of a Russian-flagged oil tanker currently traversing the Atlantic Ocean toward Europe may be imminent. Two unnamed US officials shared with the broadcaster that American military forces intend to halt the vessel, which has a history of transporting Venezuelan crude oil and is estimated to be located between Scotland and Iceland at present.
Last month, former President Donald Trump announced his directive to impose a “blockade” on oil tankers sanctioned while entering or leaving Venezuela—a step that the Venezuelan government labeled as “theft.” Prior to the seizure operation involving Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump had repeatedly accused the Venezuelan regime of smuggling drugs into the United States via maritime routes.
The US Coast Guard previously attempted to board one such ship, the Bella 1, in the Caribbean last month when it was thought to be making its way toward Venezuela. Law enforcement had secured a warrant to confiscate the vessel on the grounds of violating US sanctions by shipping Iranian oil. Subsequently, the ship abruptly altered course, changed its name to Marinera, and reportedly switched its flag registration from Guyana to Russia. The vessel’s movement toward Europe has corresponded with the deployment of approximately 10 US military transport aircraft and helicopters to the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Russian officials have expressed concern and are closely monitoring the episode.
CBS News further revealed that US authorities prefer to capture the Marinera rather than destroy it, although the tanker’s location in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland presents logistical difficulties due to distance and adverse weather conditions. Should any US operation be staged from the UK, Washington would likely inform its ally. The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment on foreign military activities occurring in its vicinity. This latest potential seizure echoes a recent US operation involving the Skipper, another crude oil tanker flagged by Guyana, which US Marines and special operations forces, alongside the Coast Guard, successfully intercepted after it departed from Venezuela.
Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, while vulnerable to manipulation, suggested the Marinera was approximately 2,000 kilometers west of mainland Europe at the time of tracking. Dimitris Ampatzidis, a senior analyst at maritime intelligence company Kpler, emphasized that the US focus lies on the vessel’s true identity—specifically its IMO number, ownership, and sanctions history—rather than its outward markings or flag alone. He noted that reflagging the tanker to Russia might prompt diplomatic tensions but would not deter US enforcement efforts. Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement asserting that the Marinera is sailing legally in international waters under the Russian flag, condemning what it described as disproportionate US and NATO military attention. The statement called on Western nations to uphold genuine freedom of navigation principles.
This escalating situation involving the Marinera follows closely on the heels of a dramatic US military operation in Caracas, where Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a known ally of Russia, was reportedly seized. The US action included targeting locations within the capital amid allegations of Maduro and his wife’s involvement in weapon and drug offenses, intensifying the geopolitical friction surrounding US-Venezuela-Russia relations
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