The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean, ending a dramatic two-week pursuit that began in the Caribbean. US European Command said on Wednesday it boarded the Marinera over alleged sanctions violations, a move that risks confrontation with Moscow.
The Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT published photographs of a helicopter approaching the tanker, reporting an operation was under way. Moscow reportedly dispatched a submarine to safeguard the vessel. The seizure is the first known US military capture of a Russian-flagged ship in recent history.
Britain provided support to the US operation, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. The US Coast Guard separately intercepted another sanctioned dark-fleet tanker, the M Sophia, in the Caribbean. The White House said it would continue to seize Venezuela-linked oil vessels, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating: “The US will enforce all sanctions.”
Russia’s transport ministry said US forces boarded the vessel outside any state’s territorial waters, citing the 1982 UN convention on the law of the sea. The Kremlin’s immediate reaction was muted, as Moscow seeks to improve ties with Washington under President Trump.
Ukraine’s foreign minister welcomed the seizure, describing it as a demonstration of “President Trump’s resolute leadership”. The Marinera, part of the shadow fleet moving oil for Russia, Iran and Venezuela, was sanctioned in 2024 over alleged illicit cargo for a Hezbollah-linked company. Initial reports suggest the tanker was empty.
