What the US seizure of Russian tanker Marinera means for global oil trade

The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after a more than two-week pursuit across the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel, seized in an attempt to choke Venezuelan trade, marks the first time the US has seized a Russian asset.

Formerly named Bella 1, Marinera was intercepted in the North Atlantic near Iceland after evading multiple U.S. Coast Guard attempts to board it in the Caribbean and Venezuelan waters since December 2025, officials said.