BREAKING: U.S. Forces Attempt to Board Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in Atlantic

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U.S. military forces are currently attempting to board a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Atlantic. The move comes after the U.S. had previously seized at least two Venezuelan oil tankers in the run-up to ousting Nicolas Maduro last week.

BREAKING:

U.S. military forces are attempting to board Russia’s shadow fleet tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) in the Atlantic

The New York Times says the tanker was previously named Bella 1 and sailed under the Panamanian flag.

After leaving Venezuela and coming under… pic.twitter.com/OFn7CdGjLi

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 7, 2026

The entire post reads:

After leaving Venezuela and coming under pursuit by the U.S. Navy, the vessel changed its flag to Russian and is now officially registered as Marinera in Russia.

In response, Russia reportedly dispatched a submarine to protect the tanker, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The tanker is linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, which transports sanctioned Iranian oil.

The tanker is in the North Atlantic, according to Fox News.

🚨 BREAKING: US forces attempting to board sanctioned Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in North Atlantic, sources tell @JenGriffinFNC pic.twitter.com/p9EpRFGZZV

— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 7, 2026

This could signal that American sanctions are now backed with force.

🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪🇷🇺 U.S. TRIES TO SEIZE VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER, SO RUSSIA RESPONDS WITH A SUBMARINE

You thought this was just about oil? It’s now a full-on naval showdown.

The U.S. is actively trying to seize the Marinera, a Russian-flagged tanker (formerly Bella 1) carrying sanctioned… pic.twitter.com/5BNUO9qtmx

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 7, 2026

Reuters reports the U.S. has been pursuing the vessel for more than two weeks:

The United States is attempting to seize a Venezuela-linked oil tanker after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

The seizure, which could stoke tensions with Russia, came after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, slipped through a U.S. maritime “blockade” of sanctioned tankers and rebuffed U.S. Coast Guard efforts to board it.

The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation is being carried out by the Coast Guard and U.S. military.

They added that Russian military vessels were in the general vicinity when the operation took place, including a Russian submarine.