The U.S. seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic.
U.S. European Command posted on X that the military targeted the Bella 1 for violating sanctions.
From Reuters:
The seizure, which could stoke tensions with Russia, came after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, slipped through a U.S. maritime “blockade” of sanctioned tankers and rebuffed U.S. Coast Guard efforts to board it.The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation was being carried out by the Coast Guard and U.S. military.This appeared to be the first time in recent memory that the U.S. military has attempted to seize a Russian-flagged vessel.They added that Russian military vessels were in the general vicinity of the operation, including a Russian submarine. It was unclear how close the vessels were to the operation, which was taking place close to Iceland.
The U.S. sanctioned the ship in 2024 “for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.”
The Coast Guard tried to board the ship in December as it sailed in the Caribbean.
Those on the ship rebuffed the Coast Guard and made their way to the Atlantic.
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