US Seizes Russia-Linked Oil Tanker Chased to North Atlantic

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES (AFP) - The United States on Wednesday seized a Russian-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing it from off the coast of Venezuela, in an operation condemned by Moscow.

The vessel had thwarted an earlier attempt to board it last month near oil-rich Venezuela, where a US raid on Saturday toppled the country's authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro, a close ally of Moscow.

"The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court," US European Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said in a statement on X.

As Washington adopts a more assertive foreign policy under President Donald Trump, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth posted that the US blockade on Venezuelan oil was in full effect "anywhere in the world."

But Russia's transport ministry criticized the seizure, saying "freedom of navigation applies in waters on the high seas."

Its foreign ministry urged Washington to allow the swift return of Russian crew members from the ship, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists that they may be taken to the United States for prosecution.

The vessel, formerly known as the Bella-1, in recent weeks switched its registration to Russia, changed its name to the Marinera and the tanker's crew reportedly painted a Russian flag on the tanker.

Leavitt said Washington deemed the ship to be stateless.

The US military also announced a second sanctioned tanker had been seized in the Caribbean Sea, bringing the total number of ships Washington has taken control of since last month to four.

Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem posted on X that both vessels "were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it," and included a video of armed US forces roping down from a helicopter onto an unidentified ship.