Photo Reuters. The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring the tanker "Marinera"
The operation to seize the tanker was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard. According to currently available information, on January 7, American paratroopers boarded the tanker despite the presence of Russian military vessels and submarines nearby.
The tanker named Marinera is registered in the Russian ship registry, where it was added at the end of December. Previously, the vessel sailed under a false flag of Guyana from November 2024 to December 2025, and also used the names Bella 1 and was registered under various flags of Panama, Palau, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands. The re-registration of the tanker under the Russian flag occurred without entering any ports.
Previously, the vessel was owned by the Turkish company Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises, which was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2024 over suspicions of transporting Iranian oil.
Since the end of December, the tanker has become the property of the Russian company "Burevestmarin" from the Ryazan region. The European Command of the U.S. Armed Forces reported that the seizure was carried out due to violations of sanctions.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth noted that the detention is related to the blockade of Venezuelan oil. British forces also participated in the operation, as confirmed by the country's Ministry of Defense.
The Russian Ministry of Transport reported that the tanker Marinera received temporary permission to use the Russian flag.
Russia demands that the U.S. ensure humane treatment of Russian citizens aboard the tanker, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Additionally, in the Caribbean Sea, American troops seized another tanker, Sophia, as reported by the U.S. Southern Command.
The crew of the tanker "Marinera" may face criminal prosecution in the U.S., as indicated by the White House.
