The tanker, once known as Bella 1, caught international attention after being sanctioned by the United States in 2024. It was accused of being part of a “shadow fleet” involved in the illegal transport of oil.

This morning, Reuters broke the news about an ongoing operation involving the tanker. The operation, reportedly conducted by the US Coast Guard with support from the US military, was highlighted by two informed sources.

In an attempt to seize the tanker, the US Coast Guard initially approached the vessel near Venezuela last month. However, their efforts were thwarted when the ship evaded capture by turning around and fleeing the scene.

Undeterred, US forces continued to track the tanker as it headed northeast. To maintain surveillance, US P-8 aircraft were strategically deployed from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. These aircraft kept a close watch on the tanker for several days as it navigated past the UK coast, according to publicly available flight data.

Interestingly, during this pursuit, the tanker’s crew took a bold step by painting a Russian flag on its hull. This act was an apparent attempt to claim protection under Russian jurisdiction.

Shortly thereafter, the vessel appeared on Russia’s official register of ships under a new name — the Marinera. Russia filed a formal diplomatic request last month demanding that the US stop pursuing the vessel.

By claiming Russian status, the legalities of seizing the tanker could become more complicated, but two sources familiar with the matter told CNN the Trump administration hasn’t recognised that status and considers the vessel to be stateless.

The US repositioned military assets to the UK ahead of seizing the tanker, CNN has reported.

At least 12 US C-17s landed at Fairford and Lakenheath airbases between January 3 and 5, many originating from airfields in the US.

V-22 Ospreys were also active in the UK over the past several days, with flight data appearing to show them running training missions in the eastern UK out of Fairford air base. And two AC-130 gunships were seen arriving at Mildenhall base in the UK on Sunday.

The US last used Special Operations Forces and assets to help interdict a sanctioned tanker on December 11, when it supported a US Coast Guard operation near the coast of Venezuela to seize the Skipper, a very large crude carrier that was falsely flying Guyana’s flag.

The US captured Maduro from a compound in Caracas early on Saturday morning, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US will continue to enforce the blockade as “leverage” over the interim Venezuelan government.