'Unstoppable Joint Force': US seizes Russian flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic after dramatic chase
PTC News Desk: The United States has taken control of a Russian-flagged oil tanker named Marinera in the North Sea after tracking it for over two weeks. Reports suggest that Moscow tried to shield the vessel by sending naval ships to escort it.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement to state media outlet Tass, urged the U.S. to treat the Russian crew members on board “humanely and with dignity” and to safeguard their rights.
Russia’s Transport Ministry argued that, under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, no country is allowed to use force against ships legally registered under another nation’s flag. Although the U.S. has not ratified the convention, it generally follows its principles as international customary law.
"This seizure supports @POTUS Proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere. The operation was executed by DHS components with support from @DeptofWar, showcasing a whole-of-government approach to protect the homeland," the statement read.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth re-shared the post on X, adding, “The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world.”
Meanwhile, the UK said it provided "enabling support" to Washington during the US operation. "UK Armed Forces provided pre-planned operational support ... to US military assets interdicting the Bella-1 in the UK-Iceland-Greenland gap following a US request for assistance," the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
U.S. European Command confirmed the operation in a post on X, saying that the Justice Department, Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense jointly seized the vessel for breaching American sanctions. The tanker, previously named Bella 1, had been placed under U.S. sanctions in 2024 and later renamed Marinera. It was sailing from Iran to Venezuela but reportedly turned back into the Atlantic after attempting to avoid a U.S. effort to capture sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuelan waters.
- With inputs from agencies
