During the course of this morning, U.S. European Command (EUCOM) announced that a U.S. Coast Guard team led by the USCGC Munro has seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker M/V Bella 1 in the North Atlantic, in compliance with an order issued by a U.S. federal court. According to the Department of Justice, the vessel had violated sanctions blocking the trade of Iranian and Venezuelan oil imposed by Washington, as part of efforts to maintain pressure on a regime that recently suffered a major blow with the capture and extraction of Nicolás Maduro for his transfer to New York.
Expanding on some relevant details, EUCOM stated in its post that the operation was carried out in coordination between the aforementioned Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Pentagon, which provided military support to ensure the success of the mission. Specifically, the events reportedly took place in the waters between Iceland and the United Kingdom, the latter being one of the countries that also participated in the seizure through contributions in planning, aerial surveillance, and the deployment of the Royal Navy’s logistics support vessel RFA Tideforce.
It is also worth noting that, according to information published by Washington, the vessel originally sailed under a Guyanese flag, and it was only upon beginning its route toward the North Atlantic that the ship changed to a Russian registry and flag; even its name was altered, from Bella 1 to Marinera. During this phase, U.S. naval officials even suggested to local media that Moscow may have deployed naval assets (including a submarine) to escort the vessel in question, leading analysts to fear a scenario of heightened tensions should the seizure proceed.
Citing some of the statements issued by the UK Ministry of Defence on the matter: “The vessel, which initially flew a false flag, switched off its transponders while at sea and attempted to change flag while being pursued, indicating its nefarious links to global sanctions evasion (…) There have been assessments dating back several years that Bella I has been involved in illegal activities, linked to terrorism and international crime, including Hezbollah, and forms part of the growing network of covert activities that fuel and finance nefarious actions worldwide.”
On the other hand, based on images published by British and Russian media, the mission reportedly involved the deployment of MH-6 Little Bird helicopters to insert operators onto the deck of the Bella 1. This is a significant detail, considering that this platform is primarily employed by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), which is also believed to have taken part in Operation Absolute Resolve, during which the Venezuelan leader was captured. However, it remains unclear from where these assets were deployed, while the Pentagon declined to confirm to inquiries from specialized local media whether that unit was indeed involved.
Finally, it should be mentioned that this has not been the only oil tanker linked to Venezuela seized in recent times, with the Panamanian-flagged M/T Sophia being another case. On that occasion, published material revealed that a Coast Guard team used MH-60 helicopters to deploy personnel onto the vessel, who subsequently secured it without major incident. Another example can be found with the M/T Skipper in December, when units operating from the USS Gerald Ford carried out a similar action off the coast of the Latin American country.
Cover image: @US_EUCOM on X
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