US Military Seizes Venezuela-Linked Oil Tankers in Atlantic, Russia Condemns Action

Seizure of Oil Tankers

• 🎯 The US Department of Homeland Security has released footage showing the boarding of the motor tanker Sophia, described as a stateless, sanctioned vessel involved in illegal activities in the Caribbean Sea.
• 📌 Another tanker, the Bella 1 (also known as the Marinara), was captured in Iceland's exclusive economic zone.
• ⚡ The US European Command confirmed the Marinara was seized in the North Atlantic under a US federal court warrant.
• 🗺️ Both ships are believed to have been en route to or recently docked in Venezuela.

US Claims and Venezuela Deal

• 💰 US Secretary of State stated that oil from at least one tanker was intended for a deal with Caracas.
• 🤝 Venezuelan interim authorities reportedly see cooperation with the US as essential for generating oil revenue and avoiding economic collapse.

Russian Response and Sanctions

• 🇷🇺 Russian media broadcast footage of US agents approaching the Bella 1.
• ⚠️ The Marinara has been under US sanctions since 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for Hezbollah.
• 🚩 The vessel was recently renamed and had been flying a Russian flag since December, with Washington claiming it's part of a "ghost fleet" for Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
• ⚖️ Moscow condemned the seizures as "outright piracy," accusing the US of violating the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and asserting that no state has the right to use force against ships registered in other jurisdictions.