Report says US may seize oil tanker heading to Europe

The United States may take action to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker crossing the Atlantic heading to Europe, CBS News, the BBC’s media partner in the United States, reported.

Two U.S. officials told the broadcaster that U.S. forces planned to intercept the ship, which historically has carried Venezuelan crude and is believed to be traveling between Scotland and Iceland.

President Donald Trump said last month He orders “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers In and out of Venezuela, a move the country’s government calls “theft.”

ahead of him Arrest of the country’s former leader Nicolás Maduro On Saturday, Trump repeatedly accused the Venezuelan government of using ships to transport drugs to U.S. shores.

Last month, the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to board the Bella 1 in the Caribbean while the ship was believed to be heading toward Venezuela.

They have obtained a warrant to seize the ship, which is accused of violating U.S. sanctions and transporting Iranian oil.

It then dramatically changed course and was renamed the Marinera, reportedly from a Guyanese ship to a Russian one.

As it approached Europe, approximately 10 US military transport aircraft and helicopters arrived in the UK.

Russia said it was “monitoring with concern” the situation surrounding the ship.

CBS News reported that two U.S. officials said the U.S. military would rather seize the ship than sink it.

The Marinera is believed to be located between Scotland and Iceland, making boarding difficult due to distance and weather.

If the United States launches any military action from Britain, Washington will need to notify its allies.

The British Ministry of Defense currently states that it will not comment on military activities in other countries.

CBS quoted U.S. officials as saying the U.S. could take action as it did last month At that time, U.S. Marines and Special Operations forces, working with the U.S. Coast Guard, seized the Captain, a large crude oil tanker flying the Guyanese flag, after it left a Venezuelan port.

The tanker’s AIS (automatic identification system) tracking data, which could have been spoofed or forged, showed the tanker was in the North Atlantic on Tuesday about 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) west of the European continent.

Under international law, ships flying a country’s flag are protected by that country, but Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler, said changing a ship’s name and flag likely won’t change much.

“The U.S. action is driven by the vessel’s underlying identity (International Maritime Organization number), ownership/control network and sanctions history, not its paint markings or flag claims,” ​​he said.

Ampacidis added that changing the registration to Russia could cause “diplomatic friction” but would not prevent any U.S. law enforcement actions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was “paying close attention to the unusual circumstances surrounding the Russian oil tanker Marinera.”

“Currently, our ships fly the flag of the Russian Federation and sail in the international waters of the North Atlantic in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law,” the statement added.

“For reasons unknown to us, despite its peaceful status, the Russian ship has received increasing and apparently disproportionate attention from U.S. and NATO military forces,” the report said.

“We expect that Western countries that have declared their commitment to freedom of navigation on the high seas will themselves begin to abide by this principle.”

A few days ago, the United States shocked the world by using force to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a Russian ally, from the capital Caracas.

It bombed targets in the city during an operation to rescue him and his wife suspected of weapons and drugs offences.