Russia Escorts Tanker US Tried to Seize Amid Sanctions Standoff

• Russia deployed a submarine and naval assets to escort the oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1), which the US attempted to seize near Venezuela.
• The US Coast Guard pursued the empty tanker into the Atlantic, aiming to crack down on sanctioned oil transportation, despite the vessel's re-registration to Russia.
• The Marinera's crew repelled a US boarding attempt in December, leading to its renaming and Russian registration, complicating US legal justification for seizure.
• Russia has requested the US cease its pursuit, with its Foreign Ministry monitoring the situation amid ongoing US-Russia tensions over Ukraine.
• Experts state that legitimate registration under international law protects the vessel, making the US's previous "stateless" claim difficult to apply retroactively.

Why It Matters: Russia's naval escort of the Marinera tanker escalates US-Russia tensions over sanctions and international maritime law.