(NewsNation) — U.S. forces have boarded a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after weeks of pursuit, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday.
The vessel — originally called Bella 1 and now known as the Marinera — has been under U.S. sanctions since last year for transporting Iranian oil, the New York Times reported.
The tanker was on its way to Venezuela in December when the U.S. military tried to board it in the Caribbean for allegedly flying a false flag. After weeks of pursuit, the ship sought to identify itself as a Russian-affiliated vessel, and crew members painted a Russian flag on its side.
The Russian Transport Ministry confirmed the vessel received temporary permission to sail under its flag on Dec. 24, and admonished the Trump administration’s seizure.
“No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the statement read.
Russian military vessels were in the general vicinity of Wednesday’s operation in the North Atlantic, including a Russian submarine, Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed and Reuters first reported.
The tanker is the latest to be targeted by President Donald Trump’s “Operation Southern Spear” campaign, which saw the seizure of a Panama-flagged vessel called Centuries and another, the Skipper, both for allegedly operating as a “shadow fleet” for Venezuela. The seizures are meant to squeeze Venezuela’s largely oil-based economy.
“We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “The president is fully deploying his peace through strength foreign policy agenda. So we’re continuing to be in close coordination with the interim authorities, and their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States of America.”
Another tanker ‘apprehended’ by US officials in Caribbean
A “stateless, sanctioned” motor tanker was also apprehended before dawn Wednesday in the Caribbean Sea, according to U.S. Southern Command.
The vessel, called the M/T Sophia, had allegedly been “operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities.” The Coast Guard is now escorting the vessel to the U.S.
“Both vessels — the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor Taker Sophia — were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it,” Noem said on social media, calling the back-to-back operations “two safe, effective boardings within hours of each other.”
The latest operations took place just days after U.S. forces conducted a deadly raid that ended in the capture and arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were then taken into custody by U.S. federal authorities. Maduro faces charges of alleged drug trafficking, and he has since pleaded not guilty.
NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer, Kevin Bohn, Libbey Dean, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.