Double strike at sea - U.S. seizes two Venezuela-linked tankers in the Atlantic and the Caribbean

The U.S. government has seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela and operating under sanctions in a coordinated military operation. The Bella 1, later renamed Marinera and flying a Russian flag, was stopped in the North Atlantic. Shortly afterward, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that a second tanker, the Sophia, had also been taken over in the Caribbean. Both vessels had either recently been in Venezuela or were en route there. See also our article: The Fleeing Bella 1 – How an Oil Tanker Is Being Hunted by America

According to U.S. authorities, the operation against the Bella 1 had been prepared for weeks. The ship had already been sanctioned in 2024 for allegedly operating on behalf of a company with supposed links to Hezbollah. A Coast Guard boarding attempt in the Caribbean failed in December. The crew denied access and headed across the Atlantic - under a new name and with fresh paint on the hull: the Russian tricolor. Public tracking data showed the vessel on Wednesday between Iceland and Scotland, heading north. U.S. military aircraft and a Royal Air Force surveillance plane circled over the area. Shortly afterward, U.S. European Command confirmed that the tanker had been seized on the basis of a federal court order. Control was then transferred to civilian authorities.

U.S. forces have seized a second tanker from the so-called “dark fleet” - this time in the Caribbean. The oil tanker M/T Sophia was intercepted by U.S. units and is being escorted toward the United States. The operation is accompanied by truly bad music.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry responded with sharp criticism, calling the situation “abnormal.” The Marinera, it said, was thousands of kilometers away from the U.S. coast, yet had been pursued by the Coast Guard for days. The statement was distributed via the state news agency Tass. Kristi Noem wrote on social media that both ships had attempted to evade monitoring. The United States, however, is continuing its course. According to President Trump, the seizure of sanctioned tankers is necessary to protect “security and stability in the Western Hemisphere.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio elaborated on Sunday in a television interview: “We apply American law. We go to court. We get a search warrant. And we seize these oil tankers. This will continue.”

The seizures came just days after the military assault on Caracas and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife to the United States. The line is clear. The Trump administration is pursuing maximum control - at sea, in the air, and on foreign soil. How long this can be sustained internationally remains unanswered. But the next ship is already in the crosshairs.