The Venezuelan oil tanker Bella 1 who changed their name to the Marinera and then changed country status to being a Russian flagged ship has been seized by the US, according to NBC News.
Photos online show a MH-6 Little Bird helicopter carrying US forces approaching the Marinera in the North Atlantic.
The US operation was led by the Homeland Security with American military support, it is not known if the UK gave any assistance.
Downing Street has said they will not provide any comment over the use of the US being allowed to use RAF bases in the UK.
#RAF Royal Air Force
Boeing Poseidon MRA.1 1x#43C91D ZP806 – RAFAIR ????
ZP806 has departed RAF Lossiemouth. With reports of a Russian submarine headed towards MARINERA/BELLA 1, I expect we'll see more RAF Poseidon flights. https://t.co/nBsV9cMZLH pic.twitter.com/sjJQfd78EZ
— Armchair Admiral 🇬🇧 (@ArmchairAdml) January 7, 2026
The Russian Foreign Ministry told RT, “Moscow Monitoring Abnormal Situation Around Russian Tanker Marinera with Concern.
“The vessel is sailing in the international waters of the North Atlantic under the Russian state flag and in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law.”
In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two “ghost fleet” tanker ships— one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean. Both vessels —the Motor Tanker Bella I and the Motor… pic.twitter.com/EZlHEtcufX
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 7, 2026
“Despite being 4,000 km from US shores, the civilian vessel has been shadowed for days by US and NATO assets,” the Ministry added.
A photograph has surfaced, depicting a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in pursuit of the Marinera, a vessel formerly known as Bella 1 and now operating under the Russian flag, in the North Atlantic.
This Iranian-linked oil tanker, having previously eluded a U.S. interception attempt off… pic.twitter.com/plLGXJVz0e
— OSINT Europe (@Osinteurope) January 7, 2026
The military operation was conducted by the US Coast Guard who has been tracking the Russian vessel, which is more than 4,000 Km from the America.
The US has dispatched a submarine and the Russian vessel is part of Vladimir Putin’s “shadow fleet” which is being used to transport Russia’s oil, however it has been claimed the Marinera is currently empty.
A fleet of US aircraft has been building up at UK air bases since the weekend and at least 14 C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft along with two heavily armed AC-130J Ghostrider gunships have landed at RAF Fairford in Gloucester, RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, RAF Mildenhall and some Globemaster’s have moved from the UK to Ramstein in Germany.
PAPA KILO 072 (US NAVY P-8A) departed Keflavik heading towards the Marinera tanker as LAGR60 (KC-135) heads westbound from Mildenhall. If there’s going to be a boarding, takeover, sinking of that tanker, it’s probably going to happen sooner rather than later. pic.twitter.com/hYnIRJkzuQ
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) January 7, 2026
A US Navy P-8A aircraft left Keflavik and is on way towards the Marinera tanker and a KC-135 refuelling jet has departed from RAF Mildenhall.
A Poseidon jet has taken off from RAF Lossiemouth as a Russian submarine is enroute to the UK coast and as the situation builds more aircraft are being deployed.
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