One ship was Russian-flagged and intercepted in the North Atlantic; a second was taken in the Caribbean, officials said.
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. authorities on Wednesday seized two oil tankers tied to sanctioned shipments from Venezuela, including a Russian-flagged vessel that was intercepted in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit, according to officials familiar with the operations.
The coordinated seizures mark a sharper phase in Washington’s enforcement of oil sanctions targeting networks that move Venezuelan crude through opaque, ship-to-ship transfers and reflagging schemes. The actions involved the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and U.S. European Command, with allied assistance, and were executed under a U.S. court warrant alleging sanctions violations. The operations come amid stepped-up scrutiny of so-called “shadow fleet” tankers that sail with transponders off and use frequent name or flag changes to obscure cargo and ownership.
U.S. officials said the very large crude carrier Marinera — previously listed under the name Bella 1 — was stopped between Iceland and the United Kingdom after changing identity during a circuitous route that began near Venezuela late last month. The takedown followed a roughly two-week pursuit marked by evasive maneuvers in the Caribbean and mid-Atlantic. A second tanker, identified by officials as the M Sophia, was seized in international waters closer to the Caribbean. Video released by U.S. officials shows small boats approaching the Sophia before boarding. “The crew could face prosecution,” a White House national security spokesperson said, emphasizing that the cases will move through U.S. courts.
Authorities said both ships are suspected of carrying or facilitating sanctioned crude tied to Venezuela’s state-led oil sector through intermediaries previously targeted by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Marinera was Russian-flagged at the time of the boarding and had earlier sailed under different registries, officials said. The United Kingdom provided support to the North Atlantic operation, according to British officials. It was not immediately clear how many crew members are aboard each vessel or the nationalities involved. U.S. officials said no serious injuries were reported during either boarding and that both ships are being escorted to secure anchorages at undisclosed locations.
The seizures highlight the growing role of “dark fleet” tankers — aging vessels that often operate without standard insurance and use deceptive practices to move oil from sanctioned jurisdictions. Maritime analysts have tracked increased ship-to-ship transfers near the Caribbean and in the mid-Atlantic over the past year, along with repeated renamings and reflagging to reduce scrutiny. The Marinera, built in 2002 and categorized as a VLCC, had drawn attention from ship trackers after switching off its automatic identification system at points along its route, then reappearing with a different name before altering course toward the North Atlantic.
U.S. officials framed the actions as part of a broader effort to reduce illicit revenue to the Venezuelan state and associated networks accused of violating U.S. sanctions. The Justice Department typically seeks civil forfeiture of seized cargoes and, in some cases, the vessels themselves. Homeland Security investigations teams have led evidence-gathering on the maritime side, while OFAC has continued to add companies and ships to the sanctions list in recent weeks. British officials praised the coordination, calling it “important activity” with U.S. allies. Russia condemned the seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker as unlawful and demanded information about the crew’s status, though it did not detail immediate countermeasures.
Prior maritime cases suggest a lengthy legal path from seizure to disposition. In earlier oil seizures, U.S. prosecutors filed complaints in federal court laying out alleged sanctions evasion schemes involving front companies, complex financing arrangements and falsified bills of lading. Courts then weighed ownership claims, crew treatment issues and the ultimate fate of the cargo. In Wednesday’s actions, U.S. officials said warrants were obtained before the operations and that initial filings will be made public once the vessels arrive at secure ports. Officials also said environmental safety teams accompanied the boarding parties to manage any spill risk during the transits.
The operations land at a sensitive moment for energy markets and diplomacy. Venezuelan crude exports have fluctuated under U.S. restrictions, while global shippers have increasingly relied on older hulls for sanctioned trades, raising safety concerns. Insurers and classification societies have warned about maintenance lapses on ships that operate outside mainstream oversight. Analysts said the North Atlantic seizure is notable because it occurred far from Venezuela’s coastline and involved a ship that had recently changed registry, signaling that enforcement now extends beyond the Caribbean approaches to transoceanic routes.
Officials would not say precisely where the Marinera and the Sophia will be held, citing security and judicial procedures. Typically, crews are questioned and screened; those suspected of criminal activity may be brought to the United States for initial appearances, while others could be repatriated after interviews. Prosecutors could seek to confiscate cargoes as proceeds of sanctions violations and pursue penalties against owners or operators alleged to have orchestrated the trades. Hearings could begin within days of docking, with further actions dependent on court calendars and any diplomatic outreach from affected governments.
Residents in North Atlantic port communities reported increased military aviation activity Wednesday morning as the operation unfolded offshore. Maritime workers in the Caribbean described seeing patrol cutters and helicopters move toward a large tanker during pre-dawn hours. “We’ve watched these older ships come and go with their names changing all the time,” said Erik Johannsen, a harbor pilot in Iceland’s Westfjords region, who said he was briefed to expect restricted traffic windows. A ship agent in Curaçao, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak, said authorities had warned commercial operators about potential delays related to “law-enforcement evolutions” in international waters.
As of Wednesday evening, both vessels remained under escort and en route to holding positions, U.S. officials said. Legal filings are expected to outline the alleged schemes and next steps for the ships and crews in the coming days. Additional enforcement actions could follow as investigators scrutinize other tankers linked to the same logistics networks.
Author note: Last updated January 7, 2026.