Photo Reuters. The US Coast Guard is monitoring the tanker "Marinera"
The operation, as previously reported, was carried out by the US Coast Guard.
According to the timeline, on January 7, during the day, a US landing party boarded the tanker Marinera, despite the presence of Russian military ships and submarines nearby.
The tanker, registered as Marinera, was entered into the Russian ship registry at the end of December, according to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Previously, it sailed under a false flag of Guyana from November 2024 to December 2025 under the name Bella 1, and before that was registered under the flags of Panama, Palau, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands. The re-registration under the Russian flag occurred without entering any port.
Previously, the vessel was owned by the Turkish company Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises and was subjected to US sanctions in 2024 due to allegations of transporting Iranian oil.
Since the end of December, the tanker has become the property of the Russian company "Burevestmarin," located in the Ryazan region.
The European Command of the US Armed Forces reported that the seizure of the Marinera tanker was carried out due to sanctions violations.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth noted that the detention is related to the blockade of Venezuelan oil shipments.
The UK Ministry of Defense confirmed Britain's involvement in the operation to seize the Russian tanker near Iceland.
The Russian Ministry of Transport reported that the Marinera tanker received temporary permission to use the Russian flag.
Russia, in turn, demands that the US treat Russian citizens on board the Marinera tanker humanely, as stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Additionally, in the Caribbean Sea, US military forces seized the tanker Sophia, according to information from the US Southern Command.
The crew of the tanker "Marinera" may face criminal charges in the US, as reported by the White House.
