As the WLT Report previously reported on Wednesday morning, the U.S. military has seized an oil tanker that was flying a Russian flag.
The ship was reportedly seized due to violating U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
In a statement on X, the U.S. European Command wrote, “The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro.”
Now, Russia has responded to the U.S. military’s actions.
The Hill reported exclusively on Moscow’s response to the tanker seizure:
Moscow criticized the U.S. seizure of a Venezuela-linked oil tanker flying the Russian flag on Wednesday.
The U.S. Coast Guard captured the Motor Tanker Bella 1, located in the North Atlantic, during a pre-dawn operation. The tanker had reportedly changed its name to the Marinera and was reflagged from a Guyanese to a Russian vessel.
Russia’s transportation ministry released a statement saying U.S. Navy forces boarded the ship at roughly 3 p.m. Moscow time, or 7 a.m. EST, upon which “contact with it was lost.” It also confirmed the ship received temporary permission to fly the Russian flag on Dec. 24.
“No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the ministry added.
Russia, a staunch supporter of captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, had also reportedly deployed a submarine to help escort it across the ocean.
Republican Strategist Adolfo Franco gave his thoughts on the move by the U.S. military and whether it will lead to escalation between Washington and Moscow:
Republican Strategist Adolfo Franco responds to whether the US seizure of Russian-linked oil tankers could lead to a confrontation between Trump and Putin.#Russia #Venezuela #Trump pic.twitter.com/OwLnRMCibt
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 7, 2026
CNN provided the following details on the oil tanker being seized:
The Russian military had started to move around naval assets and a Russian submarine to protect the Bella 1 leading up to the US seizure of the tanker, according to a US official. But it’s unclear how close those vessels were to the tanker when it was seized on Wednesday, the source said.
ADVERTISEMENTThe tanker was seized by the US is roughly 190 miles off the southern coast of Iceland in the northern Atlantic Ocean, according to ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.
The site shows the tanker taking a sharp turn south around the time that reports emerged of its seizure.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem celebrated the two seizures in a social media post, saying, “The world’s criminals are on notice. You can run, but you can’t hide. We will never relent in our mission to protect the American people and disrupt the funding of narco terrorism wherever we find it, period.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is “not afraid” to continue seizing sanctioned oil tankers despite concerns that it could ratchet up tensions with Russia and China.
“He’s going to enforce our policy that’s best for the United States of America,” she told reporters during a press briefing. “That means enforcing the embargo against all dark fleet vessels that are illegally transporting oil.”
The US Coast Guard had tried to seize the Bella 1 tanker last month when it was near Venezuela, but US forces did not board it after the ship turned around and fled.
As the WLT Report previously reported on Wednesday morning, the U.S. military has seized an oil tanker that was flying a Russian flag.
The ship was reportedly seized due to violating U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
In a statement on X, the U.S. European Command wrote, “The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro.”
Now, Russia has responded to the U.S. military’s actions.
The Hill reported exclusively on Moscow’s response to the tanker seizure:
Moscow criticized the U.S. seizure of a Venezuela-linked oil tanker flying the Russian flag on Wednesday.
The U.S. Coast Guard captured the Motor Tanker Bella 1, located in the North Atlantic, during a pre-dawn operation. The tanker had reportedly changed its name to the Marinera and was reflagged from a Guyanese to a Russian vessel.
Russia’s transportation ministry released a statement saying U.S. Navy forces boarded the ship at roughly 3 p.m. Moscow time, or 7 a.m. EST, upon which “contact with it was lost.” It also confirmed the ship received temporary permission to fly the Russian flag on Dec. 24.
“No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the ministry added.
Russia, a staunch supporter of captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, had also reportedly deployed a submarine to help escort it across the ocean.
Republican Strategist Adolfo Franco gave his thoughts on the move by the U.S. military and whether it will lead to escalation between Washington and Moscow:
Republican Strategist Adolfo Franco responds to whether the US seizure of Russian-linked oil tankers could lead to a confrontation between Trump and Putin.#Russia #Venezuela #Trump pic.twitter.com/OwLnRMCibt
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 7, 2026
CNN provided the following details on the oil tanker being seized:
The Russian military had started to move around naval assets and a Russian submarine to protect the Bella 1 leading up to the US seizure of the tanker, according to a US official. But it’s unclear how close those vessels were to the tanker when it was seized on Wednesday, the source said.
ADVERTISEMENTThe tanker was seized by the US is roughly 190 miles off the southern coast of Iceland in the northern Atlantic Ocean, according to ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.
The site shows the tanker taking a sharp turn south around the time that reports emerged of its seizure.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem celebrated the two seizures in a social media post, saying, “The world’s criminals are on notice. You can run, but you can’t hide. We will never relent in our mission to protect the American people and disrupt the funding of narco terrorism wherever we find it, period.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is “not afraid” to continue seizing sanctioned oil tankers despite concerns that it could ratchet up tensions with Russia and China.
“He’s going to enforce our policy that’s best for the United States of America,” she told reporters during a press briefing. “That means enforcing the embargo against all dark fleet vessels that are illegally transporting oil.”
The US Coast Guard had tried to seize the Bella 1 tanker last month when it was near Venezuela, but US forces did not board it after the ship turned around and fled.
As the WLT Report previously reported on Wednesday morning, the U.S. military has seized an oil tanker that was flying a Russian flag.
The ship was reportedly seized due to violating U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
In a statement on X, the U.S. European Command wrote, “The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro.”
Now, Russia has responded to the U.S. military’s actions.
The Hill reported exclusively on Moscow’s response to the tanker seizure:
Moscow criticized the U.S. seizure of a Venezuela-linked oil tanker flying the Russian flag on Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENTThe U.S. Coast Guard captured the Motor Tanker Bella 1, located in the North Atlantic, during a pre-dawn operation. The tanker had reportedly changed its name to the Marinera and was reflagged from a Guyanese to a Russian vessel.
Russia’s transportation ministry released a statement saying U.S. Navy forces boarded the ship at roughly 3 p.m. Moscow time, or 7 a.m. EST, upon which “contact with it was lost.” It also confirmed the ship received temporary permission to fly the Russian flag on Dec. 24.
“No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the ministry added.
Russia, a staunch supporter of captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, had also reportedly deployed a submarine to help escort it across the ocean.
Republican Strategist Adolfo Franco gave his thoughts on the move by the U.S. military and whether it will lead to escalation between Washington and Moscow:
Republican Strategist Adolfo Franco responds to whether the US seizure of Russian-linked oil tankers could lead to a confrontation between Trump and Putin.#Russia #Venezuela #Trump pic.twitter.com/OwLnRMCibt
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 7, 2026
CNN provided the following details on the oil tanker being seized:
The Russian military had started to move around naval assets and a Russian submarine to protect the Bella 1 leading up to the US seizure of the tanker, according to a US official. But it’s unclear how close those vessels were to the tanker when it was seized on Wednesday, the source said.
The tanker was seized by the US is roughly 190 miles off the southern coast of Iceland in the northern Atlantic Ocean, according to ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.
The site shows the tanker taking a sharp turn south around the time that reports emerged of its seizure.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem celebrated the two seizures in a social media post, saying, “The world’s criminals are on notice. You can run, but you can’t hide. We will never relent in our mission to protect the American people and disrupt the funding of narco terrorism wherever we find it, period.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is “not afraid” to continue seizing sanctioned oil tankers despite concerns that it could ratchet up tensions with Russia and China.
“He’s going to enforce our policy that’s best for the United States of America,” she told reporters during a press briefing. “That means enforcing the embargo against all dark fleet vessels that are illegally transporting oil.”
The US Coast Guard had tried to seize the Bella 1 tanker last month when it was near Venezuela, but US forces did not board it after the ship turned around and fled.
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