By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider 

The United States have now seized two Venezuelan tanker ships with one of them being flagged with Russian colours in an attempt to blockade sanctioned oil exports from Venezuela. 

According to the U.S European Command, the tanker which had previously been named Bella 1, had been seized in the North Atlantic due to violations of U.S sanctions on Venezuelan Oil. The ship, which is now named Marinera, was reflagged by Russia in order for it to join its fleet known as “the dark fleet”. 

Two weeks before the ship had been seized, the United States attempted to board the tanker which was previously registered under the Bella 1 which had been travelling with a fraudulent Guyana Flag.

 On 31 December, the Russian government had informed the United States that the ship had now been renamed to Marinera and that it would also be registered now as a Russian vessel. 

Another vessel which was also Russian flagged had been linked to moving oil had been reflagged from Gambia to Russia on 22 December 2025, and also remains empty stationed outside of the Jose terminal in Venezuela.

 A Panama flagged tanker titled, Sophia, was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday morning. The vessel was transported 2 million barrels of crude oil which had been loaded at the Jose Oil Terminal in Venezuela around Dec 26-29. 

The tanker had set sail from Venezuela before it had been seized and at the time had transported the same amount of crude oil in August 2025. 

Russia has now accused the United States of escalating tensions as well as threatening international shipping since they seized the Russian flagged Tanker on Wednesday. The Russian capital has also expressed that Western Sanctions are illegitimate and emphasised that they do not have the jurisdiction to seize ships in the high seas.