In a decisive move, the United States has confiscated two oil tankers tied to Venezuela, following consecutive operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean, as confirmed by officials on Wednesday.

The U.S. European Command disclosed via social media that they had seized the vessel Bella 1 due to “violations of U.S. sanctions.” This action comes after the tanker attempted to bypass a U.S. blockade targeting sanctioned oil shipments from Venezuela, which had been under surveillance since the previous month.

Additionally, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced through social media that U.S. forces also took possession of the tanker Sophia in the Caribbean. She stated that both vessels were either last seen docking in Venezuela or were destined for it.

After apprehending Bella 1, the U.S. military transferred control to law enforcement authorities, according to a U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the military operations.

The Bella 1 was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2024, accused of transporting cargo for a company associated with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant organization. In December, the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to board the vessel as it made its way toward Venezuela in the Caribbean, but the ship evaded the boarding attempt and continued across the Atlantic.

During this time, the Bella 1 was renamed Marinera and flagged to Russia, shipping databases show. The U.S. official also confirmed that the ship’s crew had painted a Russian flag on the side of the hull.

Earlier Wednesday, open-source maritime tracking sites showed its position as between Scotland and Iceland, traveling north. The U.S. official also confirmed the ship was in the North Atlantic.

U.S. military planes have flown over the vessel, and on Tuesday a Royal Air Force surveillance plane was shown on flight-tracking sites flying over the same area.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said before the seizure that it was “following with concern the anomalous situation that has developed around the Russian oil tanker Marinera.”

The ministry’s statement, which was carried by the official Tass news agency, added that “for several days now, a U.S. Coast Guard ship has been following the Marinera, even though our vessel is approximately 4,000 km from the American coast.”

In a post to social media, U.S. European Command confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro tracked the ship ahead of its seizure “pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court.”

The military command went on to say that the seizure supported President Donald Trump’s proclamation on targeting sanctioned vessels that “threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere.” The tanker’s seizure comes just days after U.S. military forces conducted a surprise nighttime raid on Venezuela’s capital of Caracas and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

In the wake of this raid, officials in Trump’s Republican administration have said that they intended to continue to seize sanctioned vessels connected to the country.

“We are enforcing American laws with regards to oil sanctions,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC on Sunday. “We go to court. We get a warrant. We seize those boats with oil. And that will continue.”