The United States has seized an oil tanker flying the Russian flag in the North Atlantic and a second vessel in the Caribbean, various sources have reported.
US authorities said the tanker in the Atlantic, Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, was seized pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court for violations of American sanctions.
The operation was confirmed on Wednesday by the US European Command, which said the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security coordinated the action, with the US Coast Guard tracking and boarding the vessel.
Despite carrying a Russian flag, US officials say the tanker is linked to sanctioned oil trade involving Venezuela and Iran.
According to US statements, the ship forms part of what Washington describes as a dark or ghost fleet, vessels accused of disguising ownership, manipulating tracking systems and repeatedly changing flags to evade sanctions.
The Marinera has a long record that predates its Russian registration. It was previously falsely registered under the Guyanese flag and later renamed and reflagged to Russia in December 2025 while at sea. Maritime intelligence analysts cited by BBC Verify say such mid-voyage reflagging is rare and is typically associated with sanctioned tankers seeking to complicate enforcement actions.
US authorities maintain that the vessel’s ownership is central to the seizure. The tanker is owned by Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises SA, a Turkey-based company sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2024.
US officials accused the company of links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, specifically its Quds Force, which Washington says supports armed groups in the Middle East. The US Treasury said the firm had moved goods on behalf of the organisation, bringing it under US sanctions.
According to the US European Command, the Marinera was seized in international waters in the North Atlantic after being tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro. US officials said the action was taken under US law targeting vessels involved in sanctioned trade, not on the basis of flag state alone.
The operation coincided with heightened US military activity in the region. Flight tracking data reviewed by BBC Verify showed US reconnaissance and refuelling aircraft operating between the British Isles and Iceland, where the tanker was last located, about 200 kilometres south of Iceland’s coast.
Russian state media released images appearing to show a helicopter near the ship, while Moscow said it was monitoring the situation.
In a parallel move, the US military said it seized a second tanker, M/T Sophia, in the Caribbean Sea.
US Southern Command described the vessel as a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker” engaged in illicit activity. The US Coast Guard is escorting that ship to the United States for what officials termed “final disposition”.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the seizures demonstrated that the “blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in full effect anywhere in the world”.
He added that the actions were carried out under a presidential proclamation targeting vessels deemed to threaten security in the Western Hemisphere.
Under international maritime law, flag states generally exercise jurisdiction over their vessels.
However, US officials argue that sanctions enforcement allows Washington to act against ships involved in prohibited trade, particularly when ownership, cargo history or prior false registration places them within US legal reach.
