In separate military operations Wednesday, U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged tanker after a weeks-long pursuit across the Atlantic Ocean and apprehended a second vessel near the Caribbean Sea, marking the latest enforcement of President Donald Trump’s blockade of Venezuelan oil exports. The Russian-flagged tanker Marinera was boarded by U.S. forces in the North Atlantic, officials said, after evading the blockade in mid-December. It switched to a Russian flag around New Year’s Day, nearly two weeks after U.S. forces started pursuing it. Satellite imagery from mid-December reviewed by TankerTrackers.com, an independent oil tracking firm, suggests the vessel was not carrying oil because of how high it was above sea level. The Bella 1 is one of at least five tankers involved in the Venezuelan oil trade that have changed to the Russian flag since U.S. forces seized the Skipper on Dec. 10, according to a Washington Post examination of data provided by TankerTrackers.com.

Source: Washington Post January 08, 2026 08:11 UTC