The US government has seized the Russian, shadow-fleet oil-tanker, the Bella 1 or Marinera (IMO: 9230880) in the North Atlantic: the ship changed flags and names several times to hide its tracks and activities. It previously switched off its transponder before being captured.
The Russian government sent the Russian navy to prevent the oil-tanker’s capture but this was to no avail. The US Navy and Coast Guard chased the ship from the Caribbean Coast which was trying to evade capture. It was captured in international waters off the coast of Iceland.
The US government also announced the capture of another Russian oil-tanker called the Sophia which was captured off the Venezuelan coast. Footage of the capture of Sophia can be viewed below.
The seizure of the ships follow a US intervention in Venezuela that captured Nicolas Maduro. The US has been seizing Iranian and Venezuelan tankers off the Venezuelan coast that have been violating oil sanctions and facilitating illegal oil trading between Russia, Iran and Venezuela.
EU countries have also been seizing Russian ships which have been violating oil sanctions after a series of sabotage attacks against European under-sea cables.
Below is footage of boarding of the Sophia and Bella 1.
Newsroom
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