US Navy Seizes Two Oil Tankers Linked to Venezuela
The US Navy has successfully boarded and seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela, which are part of the so-called ‘dark fleet’. The Venezuela-bound tanker Marinera has been secured and is in US custody after a pursuit that lasted more than two weeks across the Atlantic. An American official reported this to NBC News, stating that London also provided military support to the operation.
Moscow has protested the boarding of the Marinera, claiming it “violated the 1982 UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea”. This was reported by the Ria Novosti agency, which cited the Russian Ministry of Transport as saying that the ship had received a temporary navigation permit under the state flag of the Russian Federation.
US European Command Announces Seizure
US European Command announced on its official social media account that “The vessel – was seized in the North Atlantic on the basis of a warrant issued by a United States federal court, after having been tracked by the USCGC Munro, a unit of the United States Coast Guard”. The command explained that the seizure implements the proclamation of the President of the United States targeting sanctioned ships that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere.
The operation was conducted by components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the support of the Department of Defense, demonstrating an integrated whole-of-government approach to the protection of the national territory. The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar, announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions.
The United States seizes two oil tankers linked to Venezuela
Russia Protests and UK Involvement
Russia had deployed naval vessels to escort the tanker, which is currently carrying nothing but has historically transported Venezuelan crude oil. The Russian Ministry of Transport protested the seizure, stating that it “violated the 1982 UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea”. The UK has confirmed its involvement in the operation, with Defense Minister John Healey specifying that the assistance consisted of the provision of RAF bases and British aerial surveillance and espionage activities.
A British Royal Air Force (RAF) spy plane provided support to the US operation, according to the Times, which cited flight tracking sites. The aircraft was located south of the Faroe Islands after operating for a long time with the transponder turned off. The RAF Poseidon aircraft flew over the mission area before heading towards the east coast of Scotland.
US Southern Command Announces Second Seizure
The US Southern Command also announced the seizure of another oil tanker linked to Venezuela. “In a dawn operation this morning, the Department of Defense, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, stopped an unflagged, sanctioned oil tanker belonging to the so-called ‘dark fleet,’” the post reads. The intercepted vessel, the M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.
US President Donald Trump had ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a move the Venezuelan government described as “theft”. The US Coast Guard attempted to board the Bella 1 last month in the Caribbean, but the vessel drastically changed course and changed its name to Marinera, and changed its flag from Guyanese to Russian.
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