US Seizes Russian Oil Tanker Bella 1 After 2-Week Atlantic Chase in Trump's Venezuela Oil Crackdown

New Delhi (India) January 7: The United States confiscated a Russian-flagged oil tanker with ties to Venezuela following a pursuit across the Atlantic that lasted more than two weeks. 

Justice Dept Claims Military Ships Shadowed Operation Near Iceland

The Justice department and the department of war have taken out the operation to seize the Bella 1 for violation of sanctions. They claimed the operation's scope included Russian military ships with a Russian submarine in the general vicinity of the operation. It wasn’t clear how near the vessels were to the operation, which was occurring near Iceland. 

"The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar 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," it said.

Bella 1’s Rename and Flag Switch to Dodge US Blockade

That tanker, once called the Bella 1, was sanctioned by the United States in 2024. It was renamed Marinera. It was traveling from Iran to Venezuela. But has reportedly changed course and returned to the Atlantic after trying to avoid a US blockade to seize the sanction-hit oil tankers operating near Venezuelan waters. 

Before the latest move, the ship received careful observation. There were several surveillance flights that flew over the vessel, some from US bases in Iceland. British assets were also involved. It was not the first time American forces attempted to stop the tanker. 

In December, the team allegedly repelled an attempted boarding near Venezuela. After the incident, a Russian flag was quickly plastered to the hull, and the vessel was incorporated into Russia’s official shipping registry. 

Russia Slams US Seizure as Violation of UN Convention

Moscow subsequently lodged a formal diplomatic protest, ordering Washington to cease its pursuit of the ship. The Russian Transport Ministry said in a statement the US seizure was an affront to the law of the seas. The ministry ⁠also contacted the vessel, which it said it had temporary permission to sail under Russian flags on 24 December, was ‌lost after American naval forces boarded it in the open sea, beyond the territorial waters of any state. 

“In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention ‍on the ⁠Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in the high seas, and no state has the right ‌to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of ‌other states,” it ‌said.

2 Ghost Tankers Captured Post-Maduro Arrest

Another second vessel – supertanker M Sophia – was seized, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said, “in international waters near the Caribbean” by American forces. 

“In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back, meticulously coordinated boarding of two “ghost fleet” tanker ships— one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels —the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor Tanker Sophia—were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it," Kristi Noem, posted on X.

Trump Eyes 30-50 Billion Barrels of Venezuela’s Oil Reserves

Wednesday’s seizure was the latest in United States President Donald Trump’s crackdown on sanctioned oil tankers connected with Venezuela. After capturing Maduro on Saturday, Trump said the government he was pursuing would “run” the South American country and develop the vast oil reserves in its wake. 

The United States leader on Tuesday also stated that Venezuela would give the United States 30 million to 50 billion barrels of sanctioned oil.