The United States has seized a Russianflagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after a weekslong pursuit across the Atlantic, officials say. The vessel, originally known as the Bella1 and later renamed Marinera, was targeted under a federal court warrant because of its alleged involvement in transporting oil in violation of U.S. sanctions. The tanker had been pursuing efforts to evade a U.S. blockade aimed at sanctionevading shipments connected to Venezuela.U.S. forces, including the Coast Guard and military units, tracked the ship for more than two weeks after an initial attempt to seize it near Venezuelan waters was unsuccessful. At one point during the transAtlantic pursuit, the crew is reported to have painted a Russian flag on the hull and reregistered the vessel under Russian authority in an effort to claim protection. U.S. officials, however, continued to treat the tanker as stateless and subject to seizure.The operation unfolded in the North Atlantic, with the Marinera monitored by U.S. surveillance aircraft as it passed between Ireland and Iceland before being intercepted. Forces boarded the tanker under the federal seizure order.The tanker had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury since 2024 for its role within a socalled shadow fleet of vessels used to transport crude thought to be connected to sanctioned activities. Its seizure comes amid broader U.S. efforts to disrupt sanctionevasion strategies involving Venezuelan oil. .
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