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The United States is attempting to seize a Venezuela-linked oil tanker after a pursuit lasting more than two weeks across the Atlantic- an operation that could heighten tensions with Russia and further escalate Washington\u2019s pressure campaign against Venezuela.\u00a0The move is part of a broader US effort to enforce sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports, which Washington sees as a key source of revenue for the government of Nicolas Maduro Moros.<\/p>\n
What Is The Tanker At The Centre Of Standoff?<\/strong><\/p>\n The vessel was originally known as the Bella-1 and is linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments. It managed to slip through a US maritime \u201cblockade" targeting such vessels and rebuffed repeated attempts by the US Coast Guard to board it.\u00a0Following the failed boarding attempts, the tanker embarked on an extended journey across international waters. During this period, it was renamed Marinera and reflagged under a Russian registry- a shift that has significantly complicated the situation.<\/p>\n How Is US Carrying Out The Seizure Attempt?<\/strong><\/p>\n US officials say the operation to seize the tanker is being carried out jointly by the US Coast Guard and the US military. The effort reflects an unusually aggressive phase of sanctions enforcement far from US territorial waters.\u00a0The risks are heightened by reports that Russian naval assets were in the general vicinity during the operation, including a Russian submarine, raising the prospect of a sensitive geopolitical encounter at sea.<\/p>\n Why Does Russia Matter In This Case?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Marinera\u2019s reflagging under a Russian registry adds a critical layer of complexity. Any attempt to seize a Russian-flagged vessel risks drawing Moscow more directly into the dispute over sanctions enforcement.\u00a0Russia has deepened political and economic ties with Venezuela and has repeatedly criticised US sanctions as illegal, warning against interference with ships sailing under its flag.<\/p>\n How Does This Fit Into US Policy On Venezuela?<\/strong><\/p>\n The seizure attempt is the latest move under the administration of Donald Trump, which has intensified efforts to disrupt oil shipments linked to Venezuela as part of a strategy to cut off revenue streams to Nicolas Maduro\u2019s government. Washington has imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuela\u2019s oil sector, accusing the government of using illicit exports to finance corruption and repression. In recent weeks, US authorities have intercepted multiple Venezuela-linked tankers in Latin American waters as part of what officials describe as a maritime blockade.<\/p>\n What Is The \u2018Shadow Fleet\u2019 And Why Is It Under Scrutiny?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Marinera episode comes amid heightened US scrutiny of so-called \u201cshadow fleet" tankers- vessels that transport oil for sanctioned states by frequently changing names, flags and ownership structures to evade enforcement.\u00a0US officials argue that such tankers undermine international sanctions regimes and pose risks to maritime safety and global energy markets. Russia, meanwhile, maintains that US actions amount to overreach and has warned against interference with Russian-flagged ships.<\/p>\n <\/a>. Stay updated with the Latest World News and Global developments<\/a>, along with key India News and National updates<\/a>. Explore Politics<\/a>, City News<\/a>, Explainers<\/a>, and Expert Opinions<\/a> on News18. Join the fun, play games on News18<\/a>.\u00a0Download the News18 App<\/a> to stay updated!Delhi, India, IndiaJanuary 07, 2026, 18:55 IST world<\/a> US Moves To Seize Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker After Atlantic Pursuit, Risking Russia Tensions and .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" US Moves To Seize Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker After Atlantic Pursuit, Risking Russia Tensions Curated By :Mallika SoniNews18.comLast Updated:January 07, 2026, 19:22 ISTThe tanker, originally known as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":7534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-haryana"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp1.niviyo.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}