Enforcing ‘blockade’ of Venezuelan oil exports, US seizes Russian-flagged vessel after Atlantic chase

The operation followed the tanker, originally known as Bella-1, breaking through a US maritime blockade in the Caribbean and refusing a US Coast Guard boarding.

The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro | U.S. European Command @US_EUCOM

Washington: The U.S. seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that was being shadowed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. “blockade” of Venezuelan oil exports, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

This appeared to be the first time in recent memory that the U.S. military has seized a Russian-flagged vessel.

The operation took place after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, slipped through a U.S. maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers in the Caribbean and rebuffed U.S. Coast Guard efforts to board it. The seizure effort was first reported by Reuters.

Global inflows to ESG funds peaked in 2021 at $645 billion. But that was back when the Biden administration was encouraging investors to putIn a post on X, the U.S. military’s European Command said the Trump administration had seized the vessel for violating U.S. sanctions.

“The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in reply to that post.
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U.S. officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday’s operation near Iceland was being carried out by the Coast Guard and U.S. military.

The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The officials said 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, but there were no indications of a confrontation between U.S. and Russian military forces.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow. However, Russian state media outlet RT published an image of a helicopter hovering near the ship.

NOT CLEAR WHERE VESSEL WILL NOW GO

The seizure took place just days after U.S. special forces swooped into Caracas before dawn on Saturday in a deadly raid to seize President Nicolas Maduro and take him to the United States. The U.S. military turned him over to federal authorities for prosecution on charges involving alleged drug trafficking.

It was unclear where exactly the ship would now go, but sources said it would likely be entering British territorial waters.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence declined to comment.
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 and been renamed Marinera.
The vessel is the latest tanker targeted by the U.S. Coast Guard since the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against Venezuela.

Separately, the U.S. Coast Guard has also intercepted another Venezuela-linked tanker in Latin American waters, U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday, as the U.S. continues enforcing its blockade of sanctioned vessels from Venezuela.

This report is auto-generated from Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.