On January 7, US forces seized a Russian-linked oil tanker off the coast of Iceland. The tanker, originally known as Bella 1 and later renamed Marinera, had been running from US patrols for weeks as it tried to slip through Washington’s blockade on Venezuelan oil exports. After the crew resisted a US boarding attempt in December, the vessel vanished into the Atlantic and spent two weeks at sea in what officials describe as a desperate bid to reach Russia.
As the pursuit intensified, the crew turned to increasingly brazen deception. They painted a Russian flag directly onto the hull and changed the ship’s name, a last-ditch attempt to signal Moscow’s protection and throw US forces off the trail.
It wasn't enough however, as the chase ultimately ended when the US Coast Guard vessel USCGC Munro captured the ship with support from the US and British militaries. US authorities seized the tanker, which is part of Russia's shadow fleet, under a
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