Moscow slams US 'piracy' of Russian-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan oil

Washington: The United States has seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, as the Trump administration sharpens enforcement against vessels accused of evading Western oil restrictions. 

US European Command said it took control of the merchant vessel Bella 1 for “violations of US sanctions”. The ship had recently been operating under the name Marinera after an apparent reflagging, and was intercepted in the North Atlantic during an operation carried out under a US federal court warrant, according to officials and tracking details cited in media reports. 

Hours later, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said US forces also seized the tanker Sophia in the Caribbean. Noem said both vessels were “either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it,” and described them as part of a wider “ghost” or “shadow” fleet used to move oil from sanctioned jurisdictions. 

The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed it provided support to the North Atlantic seizure, which Reuters reported was aimed at disrupting Venezuelan oil exports and sanction-evasion networks. British support included “pre-planned operational support”, with UK assets contributing to surveillance and the operation’s execution, the report said. 

Russia protested the boarding and demanded the return of sailors aboard the Russian-flagged vessel, with Moscow arguing that force cannot be used against ships registered under another state’s jurisdiction. 

Open-source flight tracking and reporting indicated heightened US military activity around the North Atlantic interdiction zone, with maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft operating near the area during the seizure. 

The seizures come as the US moves to take tighter control over Venezuelan crude flows after Washington’s recent military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who have since been taken to the United States to face federal charges, according to US and media reports. 

Senior administration officials have signalled that more vessel actions could follow. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that the US would continue to pursue sanctioned tankers through court warrants and seizures. 

In parallel, the administration is laying out plans to allow Venezuelan oil sales under US oversight. The US Department of Energy said proceeds from Venezuelan oil sales would be placed into US-controlled accounts at internationally recognised banks.

Reuters reported the administration aims to refine and sell up to 50 million barrels currently blocked from export, with sales beginning immediately and continuing under a system in which funds are controlled and disbursed under US direction.