第一艘为M/V Bella 1（后改名Marinera），在大西洋冰岛以南被扣押；追逐始于该船数周前在委内瑞拉附近躲避抓捕，并改挂俄罗斯旗以求保护。美方称其因违反制裁、依美国联邦法院搜查令被追踪并扣押；该船于2024年已受制裁。报导称俄方曾派出潜舰等海军资产护航并要求美方停止追捕，凸显与俄罗斯摩擦升温风险。
第二艘为M/T Sophia，在加勒比海被扣押，并获英国支援；该船于2025年受制裁，且曾参与俄油贸易：2023年3月在西班牙飞地休达外海由小船接货后运往中国。业界监测称这4艘受制裁油轮都曾代表被美方列为恐怖组织的伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队运油。特朗普称委内瑞拉将交出至多5,000万桶、估值逾20亿美元的石油；Kpler亦指Sophia在12月下旬自Jose码头装载约200万桶委内瑞拉原油，美方并表示将「无限期」控制未来售油。
US forces seized two additional sanctioned oil tankers under a Venezuela “energy quarantine,” bringing the total detained to four ships over the past weeks. The escalation follows Nicolas Maduro’s ouster on January 3, 2026, and signals a willingness to enforce sanctions far beyond Venezuelan waters. US officials framed the campaign as a global blockade of sanctioned or illicit Venezuelan oil shipments, “anywhere in the world.”
One seizure involved the M/V Bella 1 (renamed Marinera), captured in the Atlantic south of Iceland after a pursuit lasting more than two weeks and initiated weeks earlier near Venezuela. The vessel, sanctioned in 2024, re-flagged to Russia and even painted Russian markings as a protective maneuver. US European Command said it acted on a US federal court warrant for sanctions violations, while reports described Russian naval assets, including a submarine, providing escort and urging the US to stop the chase.
The Pentagon also announced the capture of the M/T Sophia in the Caribbean, with UK support; the ship was sanctioned in 2025 and linked to Russian oil trade, including March 2023 ship-to-ship cargo activity near Spain’s Ceuta before deliveries to China. TankerTrackers.com said all four detained tankers are US-sanctioned and previously moved oil on behalf of Iran’s IRGC. Trump cited up to 50 million barrels worth more than $2 billion, while Kpler estimated roughly 2 million barrels loaded in late December from Jose; US officials said they plan to control future Venezuelan oil sales indefinitely.
