An oil tanker belonging to Venezuela had escaped by dodging the US Coast Guard. To catch it, America was running an operation in the Atlantic Ocean for the last two weeks. Meanwhile, the US Army said that they have seized the Russian flagged oil tanker. Russia had its own submarine to save it. The name of the tanker captured by America is Bela-1.

Russian warship near the seized tanker

According to the report of news agency Associated Press, a Russian submarine and warship were also seen in the North Atlantic Ocean where the US Army seized this tanker. “Bella 1 was seized due to sanctions violation,” US European Command posted on Twitter. This was a joint operation between the Department of Homeland Security and US military personnel. The US had been following the tanker since last month when it tried to avoid the US blockade around Venezuela.

The US Coast Guard tried to stop this tanker for the first time last month, but it refused to board the ship. According to Reuters report, since then it has been registered under the Russian flag. Apart from this, the US Coast Guard also stopped another tanker belonging to Venezuela in Latin American waters.

American Home Department released video

The US Department of Homeland Security has shared the video of this operation on Twitter. US Home Department Secretary Kristi Noem said, the US Coast Guard team has seized two shadow fleet tankers Bella-1 and Sophia. Motor tanker Bela-1 was trying to escape from the Coast Guard for several weeks. During the chase, he also changed his flag and wrote a new name on the ship. Crew members of the USCGC Monroe pursued the ship through dangerous storms and at sea.

In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two “ghost fleet” tanker ships—one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels —the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor… pic.twitter.com/EZlHEtcufX

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 7, 2026

Is this really a Russian tanker?

The US Coast Guard tried to seize a tanker named Bella-1 near Venezuela last month, but the ship turned and ran away, due to which US forces could not board it. The US then continued to pursue the ship as it moved north-east and American P-8 surveillance aircraft from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England were deployed to monitor the tanker.

Russia warned US last month

During this time, the crew of the tanker made a Russian flag on it and claimed that the ship was running under Russian protection. Shortly thereafter, this tanker was registered in the official ship register of Russia under a new name ‘Marinera’. Last month, Russia had said that America should stop chasing that ship. This tanker was banned by the US in 2024 for operating within the ‘Shadow Fleet’ of tankers transporting illegal oil.

Britain said it would not comment against the US operation related to the Marinera oil tanker belonging to Venezuela. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said, ‘We do not comment on the operational activities of other countries. This has been the long-standing stance of the British government.

The captain of an oil tanker attached to the Russian fleet caught near the Atlantic coast of France will be prosecuted in February, as the crew was allegedly refusing to cooperate in the investigation. This information was given by the French prosecutor on Thursday.

According to Port City Breast prosecutor Stephen Kelenburger, two Chinese crew members and ‘Chief Met’ were released from police custody on Tuesday. However, ‘Chief Met’ was released without any charge.

Kalenburger gave this information

Kalenburger said that preliminary inquiry started on the non -cooperation of the crew after the Atlantic Supects informed the judicial officers. The crew could not even clarify which country the ship belongs to. When the ship’s nationality and real nationality were seen to be disturbed, the French Navy on Saturday climbed the ship as per international law.

The French Navy found that the ship was going from Russia to India and there was no flag of any country on it. There was a large amount of oil consignment in the ship. The captain has been called for a trial in the breast on 23 February. He can be sentenced to a fine of up to a year and a fine of 150,000 euros (about 176,000 US dollars).

Russia and shadow fleet relationship

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the tanker could be part of Russia’s alleged shadow fleet. The ownership of such old tankers is not clear, and they can be used to avoid the restrictions of Western countries due to Ukraine War.

Macron also said that the tanker may be involved in the case associated with drone flights over Denmark, as it was passing through the coast of Denmark last week. He clarified that the investigation is still going on and a clear relationship between the two incidents cannot be told.

According to the sea traffic monitoring website, a ship called tanker ‘Pushpa’ or ‘Borake’ left from the Russian oil terminal near St. Petersburg on 20 September. It passed through the coast of Denmark and currently stayed near the Western port of France, St.-Najyer. The name of the ship has changed several times and it has the flag of West African country Benin. It has been targeted under the anti -Russian restrictions of the European Union.

Russia’s reaction

Dimitri Peskov, spokesman of the Russian President’s Office Kremlin, said that he had no information about the ship. He also said that many countries are taking ‘provocative action’ against Russia.

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