Russia has dispatched naval vessels to accompany an oil tanker that is also being tracked by US forces as it moves across the Atlantic Ocean, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner.
The vessel, which is not currently carrying any cargo, has a history of transporting Venezuelan crude oil and was believed to be sailing between Scotland and Iceland on Tuesday.
Last month, US President Donald Trump announced he was imposing a “blockade” on oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela that were subject to US sanctions — a move the Venezuelan government denounced as “theft”.
In the days leading up to the US operation that resulted in the seizure of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump repeatedly alleged that Caracas was using maritime routes to smuggle narcotics into the United States.
According to reports, the US Coast Guard attempted to board the tanker — then known as the Bella 1 — in the Caribbean last month when it was suspected of heading toward Venezuela. Authorities were operating under a warrant that accused the vessel of violating US sanctions and transporting Iranian oil.
Following that attempt, the ship abruptly altered its course and changed its name to Marinera, while reportedly switching its registration from Guyana to Russia.
Its movement toward European waters has coincided with the arrival of approximately ten US military transport aircraft and several helicopters in the region.
Moscow said it is “closely monitoring with concern” developments surrounding the vessel.
Two US officials told CBS News on Tuesday that American forces were preparing to board the ship and that Washington would prefer to seize the tanker rather than destroy it.
Earlier the same day, the US military’s Southern Command posted on social media that it “remains ready to support US government agency partners in countering sanctioned vessels and actors transiting the region.”
“Our maritime forces are vigilant, flexible, and positioned to track vessels of interest. When called upon, we will act,” the statement said.
The Marinera was believed to be navigating waters between Scotland and Iceland overnight Tuesday, though distance and harsh weather conditions were said to be complicating any boarding operation.
Before launching any US military action from British territory, Washington would be expected to notify the UK government. However, the UK Ministry of Defence said it would not comment on the military activities of other nations.
US officials cited by CBS suggested Washington could replicate an operation carried out last month, when US Marines and special operations forces, working alongside the Coast Guard, seized another large crude oil tanker — The Skipper — which was flying the Guyanese flag after departing a Venezuelan port.
Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking data for the Marinera — which can be manipulated or falsified — indicated the ship was roughly 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) west of mainland Europe in the North Atlantic on Tuesday.
Under international maritime law, ships sailing under a national flag are protected by that country. However, Dimitris Ampatzidis, a senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler, told BBC Verify that renaming or reflagging the vessel was unlikely to alter its legal exposure.
“US enforcement actions are based on the vessel’s underlying identity — such as its IMO number — as well as ownership structures and sanctions history, rather than superficial changes like name or flag,” he said.
Ampatzidis added that switching to a Russian registry could create “diplomatic complications” but would not necessarily prevent US authorities from acting.
Russia’s foreign ministry said the tanker was “currently sailing in international waters of the North Atlantic under the flag of the Russian Federation and in full compliance with international maritime law”.
“For reasons that remain unclear, the Russian vessel is being subjected to heightened and clearly disproportionate attention from US and Nato military forces, despite its peaceful status,” the statement said.
It added: “We expect Western nations, which regularly declare their commitment to freedom of navigation on the high seas, to adhere to that principle themselves.”
The developing standoff over the tanker comes just days after Washington stunned the international community with its operation to seize Maduro from Caracas. The US carried out strikes in the capital during the mission to extract Maduro and his wife, accusing him of weapons trafficking and drug-related offences.
