Melissa O’Rourke is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation
American forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker flying a Russian flag Wednesday following a weeks-long pursuit of the vessel after it attempted to evade the blockade of Venezuela.
“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 confirmed on social media Wednesday morning.
The Marinera, formerly known as the Bella 1, attempted to evade the U.S. blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela while flying a false flag, CBS News reports. During its attempted escape the ship began flying the Russian flag, and was soon under escort from Russian warships, The Wall Street Journal first reported Tuesday. U.S. forces seized the vessel in the North Atlantic near Iceland, in a joint U.S. Coast Guard operation. (RELATED: Majority Of Republicans Support Maduro Ouster — But Worry What Comes Next)
Russian officials formally asked Washington to halt attempts to interdict the ship, and Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring the situation “with concern,” according to state media cited by the outlet.
The Marinera failed to dock in Venezuela and load with oil, according to the outlet. Although the ship is currently empty, the U.S. Coast Guard has pursued it into the Atlantic as part of its broader crackdown on fleets transporting illicit oil around the world.
The operation follows the successful seizure of two other oil tankers in December and comes just days after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife for prosecution on charges involving alleged drug trafficking.
The U.S. Southern Command also announced Wednesday that it had apprehended the M/T Sophia, a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.” The vessel was conducting “illicit activities” in international waters in the Caribbean, the Southern Command said.
“The United States continues to enforce the blockade against all dark fleet vessels illegally transporting Venezuelan oil to finance illicit activity, stealing from the Venezuelan people. Only legitimate and lawful energy commerce—as determined by the U.S.—will be permitted,” Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X following the two operations.
The Coast Guard referred questions on the operation to the White House, which did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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