The US is closely tracking a Russian-protected oil tanker that fled from the Caribbean to the North Atlantic after a failed US boarding attempt, raising the risk of a maritime standoff as surveillance intensifies, according to media reports on Tuesday.
The vessel, originally named Bella 1 and now registered as Marinera under Russian jurisdiction, was first sighted near Venezuela’s Caribbean coast in late December, broadcaster CNN reported.
Sanctioned by Washington in 2024 for alleged involvement in illicit oil transport linked to Iranian crude and other blacklisted entities, the ship was heading to load cargo in Venezuela when US Coast Guard forces attempted to board it.
Resisting the attempt, the ship's crew executed a sharp U-turn, fleeing into the Atlantic Ocean.
This month, open-source vessel-tracking data from Kpler showed the tanker moving northeast in the North Atlantic, roughly 250 miles off Ireland’s coast and heading towards the North Sea, according to the report.
During the pursuit, the crew painted a Russian flag on the hull and claimed protection under Russian authority.
Shortly afterwards, Russia added the ship to its official registry under the name Marinera, listing Sochi as its home port. Moscow later issued a diplomatic demand for the US to halt its pursuit, complicating any potential seizure under international maritime law.
Multiple outlets have reported that the US is actively planning to intercept Marinera and other sanctioned tankers.
