The US military reported the seizure of a second oil tanker with ties to Venezuela. The Panama-flagged supertanker, M/T Sophia, was captured in the Caribbean Sea during an early morning operation on Wednesday by the US Southern Command. The vessel was engaged in illicit activities in international waters, and the US Coast Guard is now escorting it to the United States.
Additionally, the US European Command announced the interception of a Russian-flagged ship, the Marinera, in the North Atlantic, also linked to Venezuelan oil. The vessel, previously known as Bella 1, was seized for violating US sanctions after being monitored during a two-week journey across the Atlantic. US forces boarded the ship between Iceland and Scotland, with support from British forces, RAF aircraft, and the naval supply ship RFA Tideforce.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey commended the UK Armed Forces for their assistance in intercepting the vessel and emphasized the global effort to combat sanctions violations. He highlighted the vessel’s suspicious history and its association with an axis of sanctions evasion involving Russia and Iran.
Furthermore, Healey described the Marinera as a falsely flagged vessel that refused to comply with US directives. Despite not directly participating in the ship’s boarding, the UK authorized the use of its bases, RAF, and Navy assets in support of the operation. American and British surveillance aircraft have been monitoring the vessel’s movements in the Atlantic.
Russian media footage showed a helicopter near the Marinera, which had received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag on Christmas Eve. The Russian transport ministry asserted that no state has the right to use force against vessels registered in other jurisdictions under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea.
Before the seizure, a Kremlin adviser warned that such actions could strain relations between Russia and the US. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the tanker seizures, highlighting the enforcement of the embargo on dark-fleet vessels illegally transporting oil, emphasizing the president’s commitment to US policy while maintaining relationships with world leaders.