Overview
- The M/V Bella‑1, recently renamed Marinera and provisionally reflagged to Russia, was taken in the North Atlantic near Iceland after tracking that began on December 21.
- EUCOM said the seizure was executed under a U.S. federal court warrant in coordination with the Justice and Homeland Security departments, following earlier boarding attempts.
- Russia has protested the pursuit and, according to U.S. officials and media reports, deployed naval assets including a submarine to protect the ship.
- U.S. Southern Command separately reported intercepting the M/T Sophia in the Caribbean as a stateless, sanctioned tanker that is now being escorted to the United States for immobilization.
- U.S. authorities say the Bella‑1/Marinera is part of a clandestine “ghost fleet” under sanctions since 2024 for links to Iran and Hezbollah, and TankerTrackers reported it was not carrying cargo at the time.