WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. authorities have seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela in coordinated actions across the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, signaling an expanded enforcement push against sanctioned oil shipments tied to authoritarian governments.
U.S. European Command confirmed the seizure of the merchant vessel Bella 1, citing violations of U.S. sanctions. Officials said the ship had been under surveillance since December after attempting to evade a U.S.-led blockade targeting vessels transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil. The tanker was later renamed Marinera and reflagged to Russia, according to shipping databases, with U.S. officials confirming that a Russian flag had been painted onto the hull.
Separately, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that U.S. forces also took control of a second tanker, the Sophia, in the Caribbean. Noem said both vessels were either en route to Venezuela or had recently docked there and were part of a broader “ghost fleet” moving oil from Venezuela, Russia, and Iran to buyers primarily in Asia.
The seizures follow a recent U.S. military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Since then, officials in President Donald Trump’s administration have pledged to intensify efforts against sanctioned maritime traffic. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would continue using federal court warrants to seize vessels carrying oil in violation of sanctions.
U.S. officials said the Bella 1 was sanctioned in 2024 for allegedly smuggling oil for a company linked to Hezbollah, underscoring the administration’s framing of the seizures as both a sanctions and national security action.
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