Tipsheet

U.S. Forces Seized Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in Atlantic, Hegseth Says Sanctions Remain in Full Effect

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  January 07, 2026 8:30 AM

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth put the world on notice that the blockade of Venezuelan oil remains in full effect.

And according to U.S. European Command, the M/V Bella 1 was seized for violations of U.S. sanctions and pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court.

"This seizure supports @POTUS Proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere. The operation was executed by DHS components with support from @DeptofWar, showcasing a whole-of-government approach to protect the homeland," said a post on X.

NBC News reports that the U.S. has successfully seized the tanker.

Here's more:

The ship has been secured, according to one of the U.S. officials, and the Department of Homeland Security is leading the operation with the support from the U.S. military.

The vessel, which changed its name from the Bella 1 to the Marinera, was initially pursued by the U.S. Coast Guard off Venezuela last month.

It emerged as a new flashpoint between Washington and Moscow and threatened to undermine the Trump administration's blockade of the Latin American country. The Kremlin, a strong supporter of the Maduro regime, criticized what it said was “disproportionate” U.S. attention on the tanker.

Earlier, it was reported that U.S. military forces were currently attempting to board a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Atlantic. The move comes after the U.S. had previously seized at least two Venezuelan oil tankers in the run-up to ousting Nicolas Maduro last week.

The entire post reads:

After leaving Venezuela and coming under pursuit by the U.S. Navy, the vessel changed its flag to Russian and is now officially registered as Marinera in Russia.

In response, Russia reportedly dispatched a submarine to protect the tanker, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The tanker is linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, which transports sanctioned Iranian oil.

The tanker is in the North Atlantic, according to Fox News.

This could signal that American sanctions are now backed with force.

Reuters reports the U.S. has been pursuing the vessel for more than two weeks:

The United States is attempting to seize a Venezuela-linked oil tanker after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

The seizure, which could stoke tensions with Russia, came after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, slipped through a U.S. maritime "blockade" of sanctioned tankers and rebuffed U.S. Coast Guard efforts to board it.
The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation is being carried out by the Coast Guard and U.S. military.

They added that Russian military vessels were in the general vicinity when the operation took place, including a Russian submarine.

Reports are that the tanker made a sudden southbound course change.

What's on that tanker? It was reportedly "empty," but it doesn't seem that's the case.

As this is an ongoing situation, we will keep you updated.