Russia Deploys Navy to Protect Oil Tanker Pursued by US Forces

According to Rokna, citing BBC, the ship, which is currently not carrying cargo, has historically transported Venezuelan crude oil and was believed to be located between Scotland and Iceland on Tuesday.

Last month, President Donald Trump announced that he was ordering a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela—a move that the Venezuelan government described as “theft.”

Ahead of the US operation that captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump repeatedly accused Venezuela of using ships to transport drugs to the United States.

In the Caribbean last month, the US Coast Guard attempted to board the Bella 1 when it was thought to be en route to Venezuela. The vessel was under a warrant for seizure for allegedly violating US sanctions and transporting Iranian oil.

The ship then changed course dramatically and renamed itself Marinera, reportedly reflagging from Guyana to Russia. Its movement toward Europe coincided with the deployment of around 10 US military transport aircraft and several helicopters.

Russia stated that it is “closely monitoring” the situation surrounding the ship.

Two US officials told CBS News on Tuesday that American forces were planning to board the vessel, and that Washington preferred to seize it rather than sink it.

The US military’s Southern Command posted on social media on Tuesday that it “remains ready to support our government partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting this region. Our naval forces are vigilant, agile, and prepared to track vessels of interest. When called upon, we will act.”

Marinera was believed to be located between Scotland and Iceland overnight Tuesday, with distance and weather conditions complicating boarding operations. Before any US military action launched from the UK, Washington would likely inform its ally. The UK Ministry of Defence, for its part, said it would not comment on the military activities of other nations.

US officials quoted by CBS suggested that Washington could conduct an operation similar to the one last month, when US Marines and special operations forces, working alongside the Coast Guard, seized The Skipper—a large Guyana-flagged crude oil tanker—after it left Venezuela.

Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking data, which can be spoofed or falsified, indicated that the tanker was in the North Atlantic roughly 2,000 km (1,200 miles) west of continental Europe on Tuesday.

Under international law, vessels flying a nation’s flag are under that country’s protection. However, Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler, told BBC Verify that changing a ship’s name or flag does not significantly alter its status. “US actions are driven by a vessel’s underlying identity [IMO number], ownership and control networks, and sanctions history—not by its painted markings or flag,” he said.

Ampatzidis added that switching to a Russian registry could create “diplomatic friction,” but would not prevent any US enforcement measures.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated: “Currently, our vessel is navigating international waters of the North Atlantic under the Russian Federation’s flag and in full compliance with international maritime law.” It added, “For reasons unclear to us, the US and NATO are giving the Russian ship excessive and disproportionate attention, despite its peaceful status. We expect Western nations, which claim to support freedom of navigation, to adhere to this principle themselves.”

The potential standoff over the oil tanker follows the US operation in Venezuela, which stunned the world when Maduro was captured in Caracas. US forces reportedly struck targets in the city during the operation to apprehend Maduro and his wife on allegations of weapons and drug offenses.