American military forces are attempting to board a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, photos from the vessel obtained by RT show.
The United States’ European Command announced shorty afterwards that the Marinera tanker has been seized by American troops based on a warrant issued by a US federal court. The ship was captured in an operation conducted jointly by the US Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of War, it said in a statement on X.
The Marinera tanker, previously named Bella 1, was reportedly approaching Venezuela before the New Year when the US coastguard tried to detain it in the Caribbean Sea.
The crew declined to let the American officers aboard and changed course, heading towards the Atlantic. The tanker has been followed by a US warship and aircraft from NATO countries ever since.
The photos from the Marinera captured a military helicopter trying to land aboard the vessel, which Washington claims is involved in transporting oil from Iran and Venezuela in violation of American sanctions.
Footage published by RT earlier shows the Russian-flagged tanker being shadowed by a US coastguard ship in the Atlantic.
On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the “abnormal situation” surrounding the Marinera.
“For reasons unknown to us, the Russian vessel is getting excessive attention from the US and NATO militaries, clearly disproportionate to its peaceful status,” a ministry representative told Tass.
READ MORE:
Venezuela to ‘turn over’ sanctioned oil to US – Trump
The attempted seizure of the tanker comes just days after the US conducted a military raid in Venezuela and abducted its president, Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington has now formally charged with drug trafficking. Moscow has slammed America’s actions as “international banditry” and demanded Maduro’s immediate release.
Read the full article here