Russia said on Wednesday that the US seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic was a violation of maritime law. ADVERTISEMENTIt said contact with the vessel, the Marinera, had been lost after US naval forces boarded it. The US said on Wednesday it had seized a Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked tanker as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Caracas' socialist government to become its ally. The US Coast Guard and military apprehended the Marinera tanker that refused to be boarded last month and switched to Moscow's flag, officials said. The US Coast Guard also intercepted another fully-loaded Venezuela-linked tanker, Sophia, near the northeast coast of South America, the officials said, in the fourth such case of recent weeks.

Source: The Telegraph January 07, 2026 17:41 UTC