U.S. SEIZES TANKER AS RUSSIA CLAIMS OWNERSHIP IN ATLANTIC STANDOFF

The United States has seized an oil tanker linked to Venezuela after tracking it across the Atlantic—despite the crew repainting a Russian flag on the hull mid-voyage. U.S. officials say the vessel was effectively “stateless” when boarded. The tanker, previously called Bella One and later renamed Marinara, had fled a failed U.S. boarding attempt near Venezuela last month. Surveillance aircraft followed it toward the North Atlantic before U.S. military and Coast Guard forces moved in. Russia now claims ownership, raising diplomatic stakes. Is this a routine sanctions enforcement—or a calculated signal to Moscow, Caracas, and the global oil trade? TheTorontoBrief 🍁 #Geopolitics #OilMarkets #USRussia #Venezuela #Sanctions