U.S. seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after weekslong pursuit

The United States has seized the Bella 1, which changed its name to the Marinera, a Russian-flagged oil tanker pursued by the Coast Guard off Venezuela.

The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic following a dramatic weekslong chase on the high seas.

The operation to seize the sanctioned vessel, which changed its name from the Bella 1 to the Marinera after fleeing the American blockade of Venezuela last month, was carried out early Wednesday. The U.S. also announced the seizure of another sanctioned tanker, the M/T Sophia, which it said was “conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.”

The Kremlin, a strong supporter of deposed President Nicolás Maduro, accused the U.S. of violating maritime law by seizing the Marinera.

The ship's efforts to evade authorities were followed in real time by a fleet of observers and analysts, who also tracked as the U.S. moved military assets to the United Kingdom in recent days.

The saga emerged as a new flashpoint between Washington and Moscow that threatened to undermine the Trump administration’s blockade of the Latin American country in the wake of its stunning attack and capture of Maduro.