Russian warships move in to defend vessel pursued by US as all-out war fears explode | World | News
Russia has mobilized warships to protect an oil tanker that the US is reportedly preparing to seize. The ship, previously known as Bella 1, has since been renamed Marinera and reportedly re-flagged itself from Guyana to Russia.
The tanker has been under investigation since last month, when the US Coast Guard attempted to board the tanker in the Caribbean after issuing an arrest warrant over alleged violations of US sanctions and allegations that the ship was carrying Iranian oil. The operation ended in failure because the ship suddenly changed course. The incident occurred at a time when tensions between Washington and Caracas were increasing.
Last month the US President Donald Trump He announced what he described as a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela; The Venezuelan government condemned the move as “theft”.
In the days leading up to the US capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, January 3, Trump repeatedly accused the Venezuelan government of using sea lanes to smuggle drugs into the US.
As the dispute intensified, the Russian Foreign Ministry underlined the growing international dimension of the dispute, saying it expected Western governments to respect the principle of freedom of navigation.
As the tanker continued on its way in the North Atlantic, Russia said it was “monitoring the situation with concern” and accused the US and NATO of subjecting the ship to “clearly disproportionate” scrutiny.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ship was sailing in international waters under the Russian flag and operating “in full compliance with international maritime law.” Moscow added that it expects Western countries to uphold this principle in practice.
Despite diplomatic warnings, US military officials have signaled they are ready to take action. U.S. Southern Command said in a social media post that it “remains ready” to support other American agencies in combating sanctioned ships passing through the region.
“Our maritime services are alert, agile and positioned to pursue vessels of interest,” the command said. “We will be there when the call comes”
