The US 10th European Command reported that US personnel boarded the vessel.
The operation involved boarding a ship that had been pursued for more than two weeks in the Atlantic Ocean after it broke through a naval “blockade” targeting sanctioned vessels linked to Venezuela.
Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the operation was carried out jointly by the Coast Guard and the United States Armed Forces.
The US side says the Marinera had previously refused to allow Coast Guard representatives to inspect it despite a warrant for the vessel’s arrest.
During the operation, Russian naval assets were reported near the tanker, including a submarine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was closely monitoring the situation and criticized the US and NATO actions regarding the tanker as inappropriate.
The incident around the Marinera is seen as part of a broader US campaign to pressure sanctioned oil shipments, raising the risk of a direct maritime clash.
US officials also said that another tanker linked to Venezuela was intercepted in Latin American waters as part of the ongoing naval enforcement targeting sanctioned vessels.
Earlier, Russia sent a submarine to escort a “shadow fleet” tanker that was evading a US ship.
It was also reported that the “shadow fleet” is increasingly moving under Russian jurisdiction in an attempt to avoid US interception.
Also, the Coast Guard on Wednesday intercepted the second oil tanker. The ship, called the M Sophia, was not flying a valid national flag.
According to US authorities, it was involved in illegal activities that posed a threat to regional security.
M/T Sophia is a VLCC-class oil tanker, built in 2017 at an Asian shipyard. It is 336 meters long, 60 meters wide, and has a deadweight of more than 319,000 tonnes. The ship is registered in Greece and was sailing under the Greek flag.
Such tankers are typically built in South Korea or China, where the largest shipyards capable of producing vessels of this size are located. Its dimensions allow it to carry more than 2 million barrels of oil on a single voyage.
