Name: UK helped U.S. military to seize sentenced oil tanker on way to Russia
Uploaded: 2026-01-08T12:27:05.037Z
Duration: 2 min 1 s
Description: Washington says it has intercepted two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic as part of President Trump’s hardline effort to control oil movements across the Americas, claiming the vessels were part of a so-called shadow fleet used to ship sanctioned crude from Venezuela and Iran.

Washington says it has intercepted two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic as part of President Trump’s hardline effort to control oil movements across the Americas, claiming the vessels were part of a so-called shadow fleet used to ship sanctioned crude from Venezuela and Iran.

Washington

U.S. authorities, supported by the UK, seized two sanctioned oil tankers operating in international waters. The Sofia and the Bela-1 (recently renamed Marinera) were intercepted in the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic, respectively, under a U.S. federal court warrant. Both vessels are believed to have been involved in transporting oil for sanctioned countries, including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, and one had previously been sanctioned for alleged smuggling for Hezbollah.

The U.S. Secretary of State indicated that oil from at least one tanker would be used in a deal with Venezuelan authorities, who have requested the seized oil be included in negotiations. Russia condemned the seizures, accusing the U.S. of violating international maritime law and the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

UK helped U.S. military to seize sentenced oil tanker on way to Russia

This footage, provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, shows the moment the Sofia was boarded. The vessel, according to U.S. authorities, was a stateless, sanctioned motor tanker, operating in international waters and conducting illegal activities in the Caribbean Sea. Another tanker, known as the Bela-1 or the Marinera, was also captured before dawn on Wednesday morning. It had been sailing in Iceland's exclusive economic zone. In a post on social media, the U.S. European Command confirmed the vessel was seized in the North Atlantic, pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court. Both ships are believed to have been either last docked or en route to Venezuela. The U.S. Secretary of State later claimed oil from at least one of the tankers would be used as part of a deal with Caracas. You know what the interim authorities are asking for in Venezuela? They want that oil that was seized to be part of this deal. They understand that the only way they can move oil and generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States. Russian media, meanwhile, broadcast these images, apparently filmed by a member of the Bela-1 crew, as it was approached by U.S. agents. The ship has been under U.S. sanctions since 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. It was recently renamed the Marinera and has been flying a Russian flag since December. Washington claims it is part of a ghost fleet that has transported oil for Russia, Iran and Venezuela. It had been pursuing the tanker for several days as part of its blockade on Venezuelan oil and says its crew may be subject to prosecution. Responding to the seizure, Moscow accused the U.S. of breaking the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and said no state has the right to use force against ships, properly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.

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