Overview
- U.S. European Command said the Marinera, formerly the Bella‑1, was seized between Iceland and the U.K. under a U.S. federal court warrant after tracking by USCGC Munro.
- The tanker had rebuffed a December boarding near Venezuela, then changed its name, painted a Russian flag and reflagged while being pursued across the Atlantic.
- Britain provided basing and surveillance support, with RAF aircraft and the RFA Tideforce assisting as U.S. forces closed on the vessel.
- Russia denounced the seizure as unlawful under the Law of the Sea and demanded humane treatment and repatriation of the crew, with reports of Russian naval assets operating nearby.
- U.S. Southern Command said a separate stateless tanker, M/T Sophia, was intercepted in the Caribbean and is being escorted to the United States for final disposition.