US Seizes Russian Flagged Oil Tanker in Atlantic After Week-Long Chase Amid Venezuela Sanctions
The oil tanker, previously named Bella 1, had not allowed the US forces to board the vessel last month and had later switched to Russian registration. | World News
In a significant escalation of tensions, the US Coast Guard and military special forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, Marinera, in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. The vessel, previously known as Bella 1, had been pursued for a week after it failed to load oil in Venezuela and was suspected of ferrying sanctioned oil.
The seizure is part of the US's aggressive approach to dominating oil flows in the Americas, particularly in Venezuela, which is a key member of the OPEC oil producers group. The Trump administration has been increasing its blockade of vessels carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
The US has accused Russia of trying to shield the tanker, which was initially flagged as a Venezuelan vessel. However, after it failed to dock in Venezuela, the crew painted a Russian flag on its side, changed its name to Marinera, and altered its registration under Russian ownership. Russia even sent a submarine to escort the tanker, which was described as empty and rusting.
The US has also seized another vessel, M Sophia, a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, near the northeast coast of South America. This is the fourth such seizure in recent weeks.
The US claims that both tankers are part of a 'shadow fleet' used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. The administration has vowed to crack down on these illicit activities, saying that they pose a threat to national security.
In a separate development, the Trump administration has announced plans to revoke some of the sanctions imposed on Venezuelan oil in 2019. The move is aimed at allowing Venezuela to sell 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the US, which will be sold at market price. The revenue from this deal is expected to be worth over $2.8 billion.
The US is seeking to capitalize on Venezuela's massive oil reserves, which have been underutilized due to decades of stress and the exodus of American oil companies. The deal has been welcomed by Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, who said that her country is open to energy relations where all parties benefit.
However, the seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker has risked further confrontation with Russia, which has already condemned the US's actions over Venezuela. The incident has also sparked concerns about the impact on global oil trade and prices, which took a hit on Wednesday due to the anticipated increase in supplies released by the US President's plan.
