The United States has taken control of a Russian-flagged oil tanker with links to Venezuela after tracking the vessel across the Atlantic, according to a statement posted on social media by US European Command.

The tanker, previously known as Bella 1, was sanctioned by Washington in 2024 for its alleged role in a so-called “shadow fleet” used to move oil in violation of international sanctions. Reuters earlier reported that US authorities were attempting to intercept the ship following a pursuit lasting more than two weeks, during which the tanker was reportedly monitored while being followed by a Russian submarine as part of what the US described as a blockade of Venezuelan oil exports.

The seizure appears to mark a rare instance in recent years of the US military moving to take control of a Russian-flagged vessel. The operation involved both the US Coast Guard and the U.S. military.

According to CNN, the Coast Guard made an initial attempt to board the tanker last month near Venezuelan waters but was unsuccessful after the ship reversed course and fled. U.S. forces continued to track the vessel as it moved northeast across the Atlantic.

Surveillance aircraft, including US Navy P-8 planes operating out of RAF Mildenhall in the UK, monitored the tanker for several days as it sailed north and passed close to the British coast, based on open-source flight tracking data.

During the pursuit, the crew reportedly painted a Russian flag on the hull and claimed the vessel was operating under Russian protection. Shortly afterward, the ship appeared on Russia’s official maritime registry under a new name — Marinera. Moscow subsequently lodged a formal diplomatic protest, demanding that Washington halt its pursuit.

U.S. officials, however, have disputed the tanker’s claimed status. Two sources familiar with the matter said the Trump administration does not recognise the vessel as Russian-flagged and considers it effectively stateless, a designation that could simplify the legal grounds for seizure.

CNN also reported that the US repositioned military assets to the UK ahead of the operation. At least 12 US C-17 transport aircraft landed at RAF Fairford and RAF Lakenheath between January 3 and 5, many arriving from bases in the United States.

President Donald Trump last month announced what he described as a “complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, aimed at increasing pressure on the government of then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Following the US capture of Maduro from a compound in Caracas early Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue enforcing the blockade as a means of exerting leverage over Venezuela’s interim authorities.