&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "3 Indian nationals among crew in Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela seized by US: Reports")
On Wednesday (January 7), United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic. According to reports, three Indian nationals were among the 28 crew members onboard. The vessel, currently named Marinera, was intercepted by US forces after being tracked from the Caribbean Sea, according to Russia Today (RT), mentioning Russia’s transport ministry. The tanker had previously been operating under the name Bella 1 and was chartered by a private trader. Although initially reported as Russian-flagged, RT said the ship was operating under the flag of Guyana at the time of the seizure. The multinational crew reportedly included 17 Ukrainians, six Georgians, three Indians, two Russians, and other personnel.
US authorities said the tanker was seized due to its alleged links to Venezuela, which remains under strict US sanctions. According to news agency Reuters, the vessel had evaded a US maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers and ignored repeated attempts by the US Coast Guard to board it. Two US officials told Reuters that the operation involved both the Coast Guard and the US military, marking what appears to be the first seizure of a Russian-flagged vessel by US forces in recent years.
Russia’s transport ministry said it lost all contact with the tanker after US naval forces boarded it. Images aired by RT showed a helicopter hovering above the vessel, suggesting an active boarding operation. A senior Russian lawmaker, Andrei Klishas of the ruling United Russia party, condemned the action as “outright piracy,” according to the TASS news agency. The US later confirmed it had seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela, Bella 1 (now Marinera) and M Sophia, a Panama-flagged vessel described as a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet tanker.” US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the Coast Guard conducted “meticulously coordinated” boardings of both vessels, adding that Bella 1 had attempted to evade authorities by changing its name and flag.
