Washington DC [US], January 7 : The United States on Wednesday stated that it has seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker, M/V Bella 1, in the North Atlantic Sea after weeks of pursuit by the US Coast Guard warship after it evaded a US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for over a fortnight.
According to a post on X by the US European Command, the tanker violated US sanctions and was tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro prior to the operation.
The command noted that the vessel was seized under a warrant issued by a US federal court.
"The Justice Dept & DHS, in coordination with the Dept of War, today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro," the post read.
https://x.com/US_EUCOM/status/2008897287691399504
"This seizure supports the President's proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere," the post further read.
The operation was conducted by DHS components with support from the Department of War, underscoring a "whole-of-government approach" to protecting US interests and national security.
Earlier, RT News shared visuals of a boarding attempt by military personnel on the vessel.
Originally named Bella 1, the tanker was sanctioned in 2024 and renamed Marinera.
The oil tanker recently became the focus of a face-off between the US and Russia, with Russia sending naval assets, including a submarine, to bring it back, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
As per the WSJ report, Bella 1 has been trying to evade the US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for over a fortnight.
The vessel failed to dock in Venezuela and load with oil. Although the ship is empty, the US Coast Guard pursued it into the Atlantic in a bid to crack down on a fleet of tankers that ferry illicit oil around the world, including black-market oil sold by Russia, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
In December, the vessel's crew engaged in a standoff with the US law enforcement agents who attempted to board the vessel and then steamed into the Atlantic.
Russia has been concerned about US seizures of tankers that ferry its oil worldwide.
On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring "with concern" the situation surrounding the tanker, according to state news agency RIA.
Meanwhile, the US military's Southern Command said in a post on X on Tuesday that it was ready to "stand against sanctioned vessels in the region".
The US Coast Guard trailed the ship into the Eastern Atlantic, where it was sailing about 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea, according to AIS positioning, WSJ reported.
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