USA (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The US has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic, raising fears of escalation after Moscow sent a submarine.
After a spectacular two-week pursuit that started in the Caribbean and ended in the Atlantic, US European Command said on Wednesday that it had boarded the Marinera due to alleged sanctions violations.
Two hazy images of a helicopter approaching the Marinera tanker were previously released by the Russian state channel RT, which claimed that an operation was in progress.
The seizure is the most recent example of the blatant US military might and reach, and it is the first documented US military capture of a Russian-flagged ship in recent memory.
In a predawn operation in the Caribbean, the US Coast Guard reported on Wednesday that it had independently intercepted the M Sophia, another sanctioned dark-fleet tanker.
Regarding the dual operations, the White House hinted that it will keep seizing oil vessels connected to Venezuela after Donald Trump last month placed what he called a “complete blockade” on ships carrying oil for Caracas.
“The US will enforce all sanctions,”
the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters.
Leavitt did not directly address the question of whether the seizure of an oil tanker flying the Russian flag in the Atlantic could lead to an increase in tensions with Russia. Instead, he stated that the crew of the ship could be brought to the US for prosecution “if necessary.” The US must treat Russian nationals on board the Mariners with humanity and dignity and secure their prompt return to Russia, according to a statement made by the Russian foreign ministry.
Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic showed that the Marinera had been traveling in the Atlantic between Iceland and the UK.
US Marines had boarded the ship outside of any state’s territorial waters, according to a statement from Russia’s transport ministry, and communication with it had been lost.
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides that “no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” was referenced by the ministry.
The Marinera was pursued when it attempted to avoid a US blockade that targeted sanctioned oil tankers operating close to Venezuelan waters by turning back into the Atlantic while sailing from Iran to Venezuela.
The operation, which comes at a delicate time as talks over a possible peace agreement in Ukraine continue, is sure to sour relations with Vladimir Putin.
The ship is a member of the so-called “shadow fleet,” which transports oil for Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. In 2024, the US imposed sanctions on it because to claims that it transported illegal goods for a corporation owned by Hezbollah.
According to preliminary accounts, the aging tanker was headed to pick up Venezuelan oil before veering off course, and it appears to be empty. Nevertheless, Moscow seems to have taken significant steps to safeguard the ship, which begs the issue of why it is prepared to take a chance on a standoff with the West over it.
The stakes of any conflict in the North Atlantic were raised when the Wall Street Journal revealed late on Tuesday that the Russian navy had sent a submarine to accompany the ship.
The crew thwarted a US attempt to board close to Venezuelan seas in December. After that, the ship’s name was changed from Bella 1 to Marinera, a Russian flag was placed on its hull, and it was registered in Russia’s official maritime database. Later, Moscow demanded that Washington stop its pursuit in a formal diplomatic complaint.
After leaving the Gulf of Oman in November, the tanker passed via the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal before entering the Atlantic in early December. On December 15, the ship abruptly stopped close to the Caribbean and changed direction, returning to Europe as US pressure on Venezuela increased and Maduro was apprehended.
Mikhail Zvinchuk, a prominent military blogger with strong connections to Russia’s defense ministry, claimed that Moscow was put in a very difficult situation by the choice to reflag the ship under Russian sovereignty just prior to her detention.
At least three additional oil tankers that had recently operated in Venezuelan seas had since been reflagged under the Russian flag, according to registry data examined by the New York Times. This suggests that Moscow is increasingly expanding its register to include ships that are subject to US sanctions.
At a time when Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with Putin over Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the action might strain ties between Moscow and Washington.
What are the diplomatic risks between the US and Russia now?
The US seizure of the Russian- flagged tanker Marinera sprucely escalates political pitfalls with Russia, potentially sparking direct nonmilitary battle, allegations of pirating, and retaliatory warrants amid Trump’s aggressive Venezuela oil painting league.
Moscow’s commination labels the operation a violation of transnational maritime law, with reports of a Russian submarine shadowing the vessel raising collision or boarding pitfalls; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s oath to retain seized oil painting aboard heightens Kremlin pitfalls of complementary seizures on US- flagged vessels in the Black Sea or Arctic.
Political channels face strain as Russia expels US diplomats in retribution, freezes energy deals, or activates Wagner- linked delegates in Venezuela, while NATO abettors like the UK back the action but prompt escalation to avoid broader makeshift war spillover into the Atlantic amid fragile Ukraine ceasefire addresses.
