The US have said they have seized a second tanker in the Caribbean after it confirmed the apprehension of a Russian-flagged vessel linked to Venezuelan oil in the North Atlantic
They seized a Venezuela-linked sanctioned oil tanker in the North Atlantic and a tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday.
According to the US head of homeland security, the US Coast Guard conducted “back-to-back” boarding of two “ghost fleet” ships
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
The United States European Command also confirmed that a Russian-flagged oil tanker, originally known as the Bella 1 and now called the Marinera, is now in US custody. British armed forces provided support to the operation on Wednesday, the MoD has revealed.
TPUSA Insider: Erika Kirk Paid Israeli Death Squad to "Decapitate" Charlie on Live TV
Sky News reports: US forces boarded the tanker in the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Scotland as it was travelling north.
A Russian submarine and warship were close by, two US officials told Reuters.
A US official told the Associated Press the military seized the vessel and handed over control to law enforcement officials.
In a statement on X, Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of war, said: “The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT – anywhere in the world.”
Why was it seized?
The US has been pursuing the tanker for two weeks since it slipped through a maritime “blockade” around Venezuela.
It was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The US Coast Guard initially attempted to intercept the vessel last month, but it refused to be boarded.
It has since registered under a Russian flag; when it left the Caribbean, it was sailing under a Guyana flag.
Was the UK involved?
RAF surveillance planes were involved in the US operation and monitored the tanker as it passed through waters between Iceland and the UK, according to The i newspaper.
The paper said UK airbases were used to launch US military aircraft involved in the operation.
The Ministry of Defence is yet to comment on the seizure.
Sky News OSINT producer Lydia Morrish said three US Air Force special operations command aircraft left Wick Airport in Scotland in the afternoon, heading in the direction of Iceland and were expected to land in Reykjavik around 3pm.
An RAF military transport aircraft was also estimated to land there at the same time after taking off from RAF Brize Norton around 11.30am.
It was unclear what those planes were doing or if their movements were linked to the US oil tanker operation.
What has Russia said?
Before the US seized the vessel, Russia’s foreign ministry said the tanker was in international waters and was acting according to international maritime law, according to Russian state broadcaster RT.
The ministry said the ship was flying the Russian flag and called on Western countries to respect its right to freedom of navigation.
