Yesterday, in the North Atlantic U.S. Special Forces interdicted and seized a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ ship called the Marinera. The U.S. Southern Command also reported that as a result of a special operation, the armed forces seized a sanctioned tanker Sofia in the Caribbean Sea.
Regarding the Sofia, Southern Command said, "The intercepted vessel was operating in international waters and conducting illegal activities in the Caribbean Sea. The US Coast Guard is escorting the tanker Sofia to the United States for final disposal."
The U.S. has already apprehended two very large crude carriers, the Skipper and the Centuries, which are part of the fleet that transports illicit oil, and officials have said more seizures could come.
At the time the U.S. began pursuing the tanker, the Bella 1 was a stateless vessel flying a false flag and subject to a judicial seizure order, according to the White House. The U.S. had sanctioned the Bella 1 for allegedly carrying black-market Iranian oil on behalf of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations aligned with Tehran, reported the Wall Street Journal.
The seizure of the Marinera (ex-Bella 1) would be a HUGE deal in any situation because obviously it’s the US vs Russia, observed Jordan Crowder. But to make the story crazier, the ship departed from Iran and was headed to Venezuela. It never made port, reflagged to Russia after the capture of Maduro, and changed course to Russia. There are rumors that the ship is not full of oil, rather it was carrying weapons that Russia sent Venezuela to fight the US.
Could it be that’s why Russia sent warships and a massive submarine to the ship when it saw the US coming after it? Currently the ship is being taken to the UK for inspection.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Bella 1 or Marinera, has been trying to evade the U.S. blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for more than two weeks. The vessel failed to dock in Venezuela and load with oil. Although the ship is empty, the U.S. Coast Guard has pursued it into the Atlantic in a bid to crack down on a fleet of tankers that ferry illicit oil around the world, including black-market oil sold by Russia.
The vessel’s crew repelled an effort by the U.S. to board the vessel in December and steamed into the Atlantic. As the Coast Guard followed it, the crew sloppily painted a Russian flag on its side, changed its name to the Marinera and switched its registration to Russia.
Russia has been concerned by U.S. seizures of tankers that ferry its illicit oil around the world and power its economy, and it has made the unusual move of allowing the tanker to register in Russia without an inspection or other formalities, the Wall Street Journal reported.
U.S. Southern Command called the Sophia "a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker." The Sophia "was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities," the military said, adding that the U.S. Coast Guard is now escorting the ship to the U.S.
In a post on X, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated, "In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two 'ghost fleet' tanker ships."
The Bella-1 and the Sophia "were either last docked in Venezuela or enroute to it," Noem said in a statement justifying the seizures.
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com and is a veteran of over 300 political campaigns. A member of American MENSA, he served on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle, as Director of Policy and Communication for former Congressman Adam Putnam (FL-12) then Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, and as spokesman for retired Rep. Mac Thornberry formerly a member of the House Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. In 1989 he staffed Vice President Quayle's visit to Venezuela for the inauguration of the country's last democratically elected president, Carlos Andrés Pérez.
Regarding the Sofia, Southern Command said, "The intercepted vessel was operating in international waters and conducting illegal activities in the Caribbean Sea. The US Coast Guard is escorting the tanker Sofia to the United States for final disposal."
The U.S. has already apprehended two very large crude carriers, the Skipper and the Centuries, which are part of the fleet that transports illicit oil, and officials have said more seizures could come.
At the time the U.S. began pursuing the tanker, the Bella 1 was a stateless vessel flying a false flag and subject to a judicial seizure order, according to the White House. The U.S. had sanctioned the Bella 1 for allegedly carrying black-market Iranian oil on behalf of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations aligned with Tehran, reported the Wall Street Journal.
The seizure of the Marinera (ex-Bella 1) would be a HUGE deal in any situation because obviously it’s the US vs Russia, observed Jordan Crowder. But to make the story crazier, the ship departed from Iran and was headed to Venezuela. It never made port, reflagged to Russia after the capture of Maduro, and changed course to Russia. There are rumors that the ship is not full of oil, rather it was carrying weapons that Russia sent Venezuela to fight the US.
Could it be that’s why Russia sent warships and a massive submarine to the ship when it saw the US coming after it? Currently the ship is being taken to the UK for inspection.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Bella 1 or Marinera, has been trying to evade the U.S. blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for more than two weeks. The vessel failed to dock in Venezuela and load with oil. Although the ship is empty, the U.S. Coast Guard has pursued it into the Atlantic in a bid to crack down on a fleet of tankers that ferry illicit oil around the world, including black-market oil sold by Russia.
The vessel’s crew repelled an effort by the U.S. to board the vessel in December and steamed into the Atlantic. As the Coast Guard followed it, the crew sloppily painted a Russian flag on its side, changed its name to the Marinera and switched its registration to Russia.
Russia has been concerned by U.S. seizures of tankers that ferry its illicit oil around the world and power its economy, and it has made the unusual move of allowing the tanker to register in Russia without an inspection or other formalities, the Wall Street Journal reported.
U.S. Southern Command called the Sophia "a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker." The Sophia "was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities," the military said, adding that the U.S. Coast Guard is now escorting the ship to the U.S.
In a post on X, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated, "In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two 'ghost fleet' tanker ships."
The Bella-1 and the Sophia "were either last docked in Venezuela or enroute to it," Noem said in a statement justifying the seizures.
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com and is a veteran of over 300 political campaigns. A member of American MENSA, he served on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle, as Director of Policy and Communication for former Congressman Adam Putnam (FL-12) then Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, and as spokesman for retired Rep. Mac Thornberry formerly a member of the House Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. In 1989 he staffed Vice President Quayle's visit to Venezuela for the inauguration of the country's last democratically elected president, Carlos Andrés Pérez.
