British military forces collaborated with the United States in a joint effort to seize an oil tanker known as the ‘ghost fleet’ vessel earlier today. The UK Ministry of Defence disclosed that RAF surveillance assets and the RFA Tideforce support ship were part of the coordinated operation led by the US.
In a successful pre-dawn raid, a team from the US Coastguard boarded the Marinera tanker with support from British military units, as confirmed by the Ministry of Defence. UK Defence Secretary John Healey commended the UK Armed Forces for their role in assisting the US in intercepting the Bella 1 vessel en route to Russia, as part of global initiatives to combat sanctions violations.
The intercepted ship, with a dubious past, is linked to a Russian-Iranian network evading sanctions, contributing to instability from the Middle East to Ukraine. Simultaneously, a newly released video captures armed US troops boarding an oil tanker, later confirmed by Kristi Noem as one of the two vessels seized by the US on the same day.
Reports indicate that the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera, formerly known as Bella-1, is now under US control following the daring nighttime operation. In a parallel operation, another oil tanker named Sophia was boarded by a tactical team from the USCG in the Caribbean. Both vessels have connections to Venezuela, either having recently docked there or en route.
The US Department of Justice and Homeland Security have announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violating US sanctions, according to a statement from the European Command. Noem praised the US government’s coordinated efforts in the successful boardings and highlighted the persistence of the USCGC Munro crew in pursuing the evading vessel.
The interception of the Venezuelan-affiliated vessel, previously named Bella-1, took place with UK military assistance in waters near Scotland. An emergency statement regarding the seizure of the Marinera tanker is scheduled to be delivered in the Commons later today.