On January 7, local time, the US “Wall Street Journal” reported that US military officials said that the US military had taken action to seize an oil tanker departing from Venezuela. The tanker was allegedly escorted by a Russian submarine during the voyage. The report said that the seizure operation is still ongoing, and the US military used helicopters and coast guard ships to intercept the tanker involved. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on January 6 that it is closely watching the country's tanker “Mariner” being tracked by the US military in the high seas of the North Atlantic. According to information, in December 2025, the tanker, originally named “Bella 1,” successfully blocked attempts by US personnel to board the ship and sail into the Atlantic Ocean. While being chased by the US Coast Guard, the tanker painted a Russian flag pattern on the hull, changed its name to “Sailor,” and changed the country of registration to Russia. According to the Wall Street Journal, the tanker was originally planned to load oil in Venezuela, but was unable to land due to the US blockade, and is currently empty.

On January 7, local time, the US “Wall Street Journal” reported that US military officials said that the US military had taken action to seize an oil tanker departing from Venezuela. The tanker was allegedly escorted by a Russian submarine during the voyage. The report said that the seizure operation is still ongoing, and the US military used helicopters and coast guard ships to intercept the tanker involved. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on January 6 that it is closely watching the country's tanker “Mariner” being tracked by the US military in the high seas of the North Atlantic. According to information, in December 2025, the tanker, originally named “Bella 1,” successfully blocked attempts by US personnel to board the ship and sail into the Atlantic Ocean. While being chased by the US Coast Guard, the tanker painted a Russian flag pattern on the hull, changed its name to “Sailor,” and changed the country of registration to Russia. According to the Wall Street Journal, the tanker was originally planned to load oil in Venezuela, but was unable to land due to the US blockade, and is currently empty.