US releases VIDEO of Coast Guard ship pairing with Marinera tanker

The United States shows a Coast Guard ship approaching a Marinera tanker during a seizure operation in the North Atlantic Ocean on January 7, 2026. Disclosure/US Coast Guard The United States released a video showing the approach of a Coast Guard ship to the Marinera oil tanker (formerly Bella 1), connected to Venezuela and flying the Russian flag, seized on Wednesday (7). The vessel had been escorted by a Russian submarine in recent days, according to US media. The seizure of the oil tanker has the potential to escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The video, recorded on Wednesday and released by the Coast Guard hours after the seizure, shows the North American vessel approaching the oil tanker, but it is not clear at what point in the operation. The images do not show the helicopter reported by the Russian press or the US troops boarding the Marinera, as reported by the Associated Press news agency. The tanker was seized by the US after weeks of pursuit across the Atlantic Ocean and is part of the Trump administration’s attack on Venezuelan oil. The Marinera was going to dock in Venezuela when it was approached for the first time, in December 2025. The ship’s capture was rejected by Russia and China. (Read more below) The Marinera was built as a tanker capable of carrying oil and chemicals. The vessel has the capacity to carry up to 318 thousand tons of oil. Read more about the tanker here. US intercepts 2 oil tankers linked to Venezuela The Marinera has gone through several “incarnations” throughout its operational life, something common in maritime trade. He has been known, for example, as Mtov in 2012, Overseas Mulan in 2017 and Xiao Zhu Shan in 2021. Until recently, his name was Bella 1 and he was registered under the Guyanese flag. On the eve of last Christmas, the Russian Ministry of Transport granted a temporary license to operate under the country’s flag. The Marinera had already been sanctioned in the US in the past, by the Biden administration, for carrying Iranian oil. Moscow repudiates US action shows Coast Guard ship pairing with Marinera oil tanker during seizure operation in the North Atlantic Ocean on January 7, 2026. Disclosure/US Coast Guard The Russian government repudiated the seizure of the oil tanker and stated that the US action violated maritime law and that “there was no jurisdiction for the use of force”. He also called on Americans to give “humane and dignified treatment” to the crew. The White House previously stated that the seizure would respect international law by accusing the ship of sailing under a false flag. The United Kingdom supported the seizure operation after a request for help from the United States, according to British Defense Secretary John Healey. The British Armed Forces provided “operational support, including the use of bases”, a military vessel and aerial surveillance support. Healey said the tanker has a “nefarious history” and is “linked to Russian and Iranian sanctions evasion networks.” Publicity image of the Marinera ship (Ex-Bella 1) seen from a distance, released on January 7, 2026. Reuters Recently, Russia deployed a submarine and other vessels to escort the oil tanker, which the US intercepted at the end of December and has been trying to seize since then. At the time, the vessel was near Venezuela and fled to the Atlantic Ocean. With the seizure, tensions between the US and Russia could escalate further. This is because, in addition to the escort, the Kremlin made a formal request to the White House in recent days to stop pursuing the oil tanker. The Marinera’s oil reservoir was empty at the time of the seizure, according to maritime tracking data analyzed by the Associated Press. Details of the Marinera tanker, seized by the USA. art/ g1 Escort Authorities told Reuters that Russian military ships were in the general area of ​​the operation, including a Russian submarine. It is unclear, however, how close the vessels were to the tanker, and there was no evidence of a confrontation between US and Russian military forces. Following the seizure, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers “remains in effect around the world.” US President Donald Trump imposed a “total blockade” on the country’s oil tankers in December and seized two of these vessels in 2025. The US accuses the oil tanker of sailing under a false flag and transporting Venezuelan oil to allies of the Chavista regime —led by Nicolás Maduro’s successor, Delcy Rodriguez—, such as Russia, China and Iran. The White House claims that boarding a ship under a false flag does not violate international law. Russia has deployed a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an aging oil tanker, the Bella 1, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a US official. Hakon Rimmereid/via REUTERS Last week, the Kremlin had already asked the US to stop the pursuit of the oil tanker. The diplomatic request was made on Wednesday (31). The White House, the US State Department and the Russian government did not comment on the case until the last update. Last week, the White House ordered the US Armed Forces to focus their efforts almost exclusively on enforcing a type of blockade on Venezuelan oil for the next two months, according to the Reuters news agency. Oil Tanker Pursuit The initial interception of the oil tanker Bella 1 by the US Coast Guard took place on December 16th. The vessel was entering Latin American waters and approaching Venezuela. Trump says Venezuela will deliver millions of barrels of oil to the US. However, US forces were unable to seize the ship because the crew resisted the attack, changed course and fled towards the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, the US Army has been pursuing the vessel. According to the North American newspaper “The New York Times”, the Bella 1 came from Iran and was destined for Venezuela to load oil. In the following days, the ship tried to obtain protection from Russia by painting a flag on the hull and radioing the US Coast Guard that it was sailing under Russian authority, according to the newspaper. Since then, the tanker has been included in the official ship register as belonging to Russia and under a new name, Marinera. The indicated port of origin is Sochi, a Russian city on the Black Sea. In December, the US Coast Guard had already intercepted two oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea, both loaded with Venezuelan oil. The increase in pressure comes amid a large United States military presence in the Caribbean, with more than 15,000 troops, including an aircraft carrier, 11 other warships and F-35 fighter jets. The US claims that military means are used to enforce economic sanctions.

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