The Arrest of the Mariner: The U.S. vs. the Shadow Fleet of Venezuela, Russia, and Iran | Ukrainian News

Two-week chase across the Atlantic Ocean has ended the US seizure of sanctioned goods of the tanker MarineraDuring its escape, the vessel changed its name and became Russian. But this did not save it from seizure, nor did it save the Russian warships and submarine that accompanied the tanker.LIGA.net I reread it. The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, Politico, Bloomberg and retells the key part of this story.Iran, Venezuela, Murmansk. A two-week chase for a tankerOn January 7, the U.S. military seized two tankers in the Atlantic. One of them had been fleeing the Coast Guard for over two weeks across the entire ocean.Both vessels were under U.S. sanctions due to restrictions on oil trade with Venezuela.The US imposed sanctions on the tanker Bella 1 in 2024 for trading Iranian oil on the black market for the benefit of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which is linked to Tehran.The Bella 1 was traveling from Iran to Venezuela empty and was to be loaded with oil there.In mid-December, the US began a naval blockade of Venezuela. So when the Bella 1 approached the Caribbean on December 21 and saw the US Coast Guard, it turned around and began to flee.During the escape, the crew painted a Russian flag on the side of the vessel, changed its name to Marinera, and obtained Russian registration.The US detained a vessel between Iceland and Great Britain. From there, the tanker could have been heading to the Baltic Sea or to Murmansk, Russia."He was detained in the North Atlantic, in accordance with a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court," the U.S. European Command said.Thirteen C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft of the U.S. Air Force flew from American bases to Great Britain between January 3 and 5.For the operation to seize the Marinera, the US deployed two P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft, a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker, AC-130J gunships, two C-130J Hercules tactical transport aircraft, and three U-28A Draco special mission aircraft.The Marinera was accompanied by Russian warships and a submarine, which did not interfere with the actions of the US military.The British Ministry of Defence supported the operation by providing operational support and aerial surveillance.British Minister of Defence John Healy He confirmed that British bases had been used and stated that the ship, "with its sad history, is part of a Russian-Iranian sanctions-busting axis that fuels terrorism, wars and suffering from the Middle East to Ukraine."Read alsoThese helicopters evacuated Maduro. A Bell representative on the Viper, Venom, and investments in Ukraine's defense.Russia appeals to international lawThe Russian Ministry of Transport stated that the US Navy boarded the tanker despite the vessel having received temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag. They added that no one has the right to use force against vessels registered in the jurisdiction of other states.Russia asked the US to stop pursuing the vessel, but to no avail. When the US began pursuing the vessel, it was stateless, sailing under a foreign flag, and subject to seizure, the White House responded to the Russians' appeals.The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it demands humane treatment for the Russian citizens of the crew and their speedy return. Russian senator Andrey Klishas of "United Russia" stated that the US "resorted to outright piracy on the high seas.""Criminals in the world have been warned" Marinera – this is not the endBut the U.S. seems to be ignoring these statements.On January 7, in the Caribbean Sea, the US military arrested the tanker Sophia, which is linked to Russians. The vessel was in international waters and engaged in illegal activities, and the US Coast Guard is escorting it to the shores of America."Criminals in the world have been warned. You can run, but you can't hide," commented US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on the arrests.Emmanuel Bellini, an oil market analyst at Kpler, says satellite images and reports indicate that the vessel is "loaded with 2 million barrels of Merey crude oil, shipped from the Jose terminal in Venezuela."These two arrests demonstrate Trump's willingness to seize sanctioned tankers from shadow fleets that transport oil around the world. US authorities have seized four tankers in recent weeks as part of a blockade of sanctioned vessels off the coast of Venezuela.The blockade of sanctioned and illegal Venezuelan oil remains absolute anywhere in the world, said US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.The US promises to continue seizing ships off the coast of Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio He says that the oil sales restrictions are a crucial way to influence the Venezuelan leaders who come after Maduro.On January 6, the U.S. Southern Command announced that it was prepared to continue arresting "sanctioned vessels transiting through the Caribbean region."All the seized tankers are part of a shadow fleet that transports oil for Russia, Iran, and Venezuela in violation of sanctions imposed by the US and other countries. The US began seizing them after Donald Trump He ordered a "complete blockade of sanctioned tankers heading to and from Venezuela" in mid-December.The same week that Bella 1 painted a Russian flag on itself and changed its name, another tanker sailing to Venezuela – Hyperion – underwent a similar change.According to the Russian vessel registry, at least three additional tankers that have been operating in Venezuelan waters in recent weeks have also switched to Russian flags, extending the flag-switching scheme to sanctioned vessels. Earlier this week, one of these tankers fled from the Americans from Venezuelan waters.All five vessels were sanctioned by the US for transporting Iranian or Russian oil. They changed their ports of registry to Sochi or Taganrog. But this does not save them from the US Coast Guard if they come across it.White House spokeswoman Caroline Levittwarned: the ship's crew is also subject to prosecution for any relevant violation of U.S. law – and, if necessary, crew members will be brought to the U.S.Read alsoWhat will 2026 bring for Ukraine and the world – three scenarios. A forecast by Horbulin and Badrak

A two-week chase across the Atlantic. The US seized the tanker Marinera – what awaits Russia's shadow fleet

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