Washington, DC, January 7 (ANI): The United States on Wednesday announced the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker M/V Bella 1 in the North Atlantic after weeks of pursuit by the US Coast Guard. The vessel had evaded a US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for more than two weeks.
According to a post by the US European Command on X, the tanker violated US sanctions and was tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro prior to the operation. The seizure was carried out under a warrant issued by a US federal court. “The Justice Dept & DHS, in coordination with the Dept of War, today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro,” the post read.
The operation, conducted by Department of Homeland Security components with support from the Department of War, reflects a “whole-of-government approach” to protecting US interests and national security. “This seizure supports the President’s proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere,” the post added.
The tanker, originally named Bella 1, was sanctioned in 2024 and later renamed Marinera. Russia sent naval assets, including a submarine, to attempt to retrieve the vessel, according to the Wall Street Journal. Bella 1 had failed to dock in Venezuela to load oil and had been evading the US blockade for more than a fortnight. Although the ship was empty, the Coast Guard pursued it into the Atlantic to disrupt a fleet of tankers transporting illicit oil, including black-market shipments from Russia.
In December, the vessel’s crew engaged in a standoff with US law enforcement agents who attempted to board it before it steamed into the Atlantic. The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the seizure, monitoring the situation closely, according to state news agency RIA.
The US Southern Command stated on X that it is prepared to “stand against sanctioned vessels in the region.” The Coast Guard tracked Bella 1 into the Eastern Atlantic, where it was sailing approximately 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea, according to AIS positioning data.
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