Russia dispatched at least one naval vessel to escort an empty oil tanker that the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to seize, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the New York Times (NYT) on Jan. 6 and 7.
Citing an undisclosed U.S. official, the WSJ reported that Moscow sent a submarine and other vessels to escort the Marinera tanker, previously known as Bella 1. The NYT, citing its source, wrote that Russia dispatched “at least one naval vessel.”
U.S. authorities have been pursuing the rusty tanker for weeks after it attempted to evade a blockade near Venezuela.
The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the vessel in the Caribbean in December as it sailed from Iran to load oil in Venezuela. U.S. authorities said they were acting on a seizure warrant because the ship was flying a false flag.
The Kyiv Independent has reached out to the White House and the U.S. State Department for comment.
The ship’s crew refused to be boarded, renamed the vessel, and adopted a Russian flag, which they then painted on the hull. Moscow reportedly also reached out to Washington via diplomatic channels to halt the pursuit.
The news comes as the U.S. intensifies its crackdown on the shadow fleet, a group of aging tankers Moscow uses to evade international sanctions. In December, the U.S. seized the tanker The Skipper off the Venezuelan coast after Guyana said the ship was falsely flying its flag — a common method employed by the shadow fleet.
The tanker formerly known as Bella 1 has been sanctioned by Washington for purportedly transporting black-market Iranian oil on behalf of organizations designated by Washington as terrorists.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it is monitoring the situation regarding Marinera, stressing that the vessel flies a Russian flag and is now “approximately 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from the American coast.” Marine tracking data indicate that the tanker is sailing in the North Atlantic.
The incident comes as tensions flare up between the U.S. and Russia over several issues. Moscow denounced Washington’s military operation in Caracas on Jan. 3 that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Russia’s ally.
U.S. President Donald Trump also again criticized the Kremlin over its refusal to end the war in Ukraine, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “killing too many people.”
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