Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:51pm on 07 Jan 2026,Wednesday International
The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, Marinera, in the North Atlantic after tracking it for more than two weeks, officials said. The ship, earlier known as Bella 1, is accused of violating US sanctions linked to Venezuelan and Iranian oil. The US military said the action was led by Homeland Security with support from defence agencies. Russia’s foreign ministry called for “humane and dignified treatment” of Russian crew and said force against registered vessels was not allowed under maritime law. The UK Ministry of Defence said British forces gave “enabling support” to the operation. US officials also confirmed a second Venezuela-linked tanker was seized in the Caribbean.
