Overview
- U.S. European Command confirmed the Marinera was taken between Iceland and the United Kingdom under a federal seizure warrant after tracking by the cutter USCGC Munro.
- The Department of Homeland Security led a Coast Guard boarding with military support, and U.S. law‑enforcement officials are now on the vessel.
- Russian naval assets, including a submarine, were reported nearby during the operation, and Moscow condemned the move as a breach of maritime law.
- The tanker, formerly the Bella 1, reflagged to Russia while evading a December interception and has been under U.S. sanctions since 2024 for alleged illicit oil shipments tied to Venezuela and a Hezbollah‑linked firm.
- U.S. officials said a second Venezuela‑linked tanker was intercepted in Latin American waters as the enforcement campaign expands following December seizures of the Skipper and Centuries.