Today- An Oil Tanker Twofer
Motor Tanker Bella 1
A Venezuela-linked oil tanker operating in the “dark fleet” painted a Russian flag on its hull, changed its name, and reflagged to Russia in an attempt to evade the U.S. Coast Guard, according to reports.
The vessel was tracked by U.S., U.K., France and Ireland aerial surveillance to the Irish coast after it fled the Caribbean and evaded interception.
Russia had reportedly deployed a submarine to escort the tanker to its own waters, according to the Wall Street Journal late Tuesday.
Didn’t much matter.
US military seizes two sanctioned tankers in Atlantic Ocean
U.S. forces on Wednesday seized two sanctioned tankers in the Atlantic Ocean.
Marinera vessel spent weeks trying to slip past enforcement targeting sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments
By Ashley Carnahan , Jennifer Griffin
First, U.S. European Command (EUCOM) announced the seizure of the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea.
“The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions,” read a post from EUCOM on X. “The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro.”
“This seizure supports @POTUS Proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere,” EUCOM added. “The operation was executed by DHS components with support from @DeptofWar, showcasing a whole-of-government approach to protect the homeland.”
Fox News previously reported that U.S. forces were attempting to board the Marinera tanker, which previously operated under the name Bella 1, in the North Atlantic earlier Wednesday morning.
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Later Wednesday morning, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the separate seizure of another oil tanker, the M/T Sophia, in the Caribbean.“In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident,” SOUTHCOM said.
It added that the interdicted vessel was conducting “illicit activities” in the Caribbean and is being escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard to the United States for “final disposition.”
Add another asset or two to Trump’s growing tanker fleet. The Russians will howl of course, just as they protested Maduro’s capture as an invasion of a foreign country. I guess “irony” doesn’t translate well.
I don’t think I would ship oil in that thing. Looks like a floating version of the next major environmental catastrophe.
With the Ruskie’s “protection” it doesn’t look like oil shipment at all – but some type of state ‘assets’ they didn’t think we’d find.
I’m sure the captain and helmsman are drunk too!
Could be, but when you have a cod piece that size, allowances must be made.
It’s about time we make peace with Russia. The Capitalist-Imperialists in the U.S. want to TAKE what is not theirs. Russia has kicked our asses in Ukraine, and this bullying of a small, weak nation called Venezuela does not make up for that.
By all appearances, our President is a mentally ill person with severe personality disorders. His condition appears to be worsening at an accelerated rate.
We need to get OUT of Venezuela, let the Venezuelans decide how to run THEIR country, and have peaceful relations with that country. Venezuela would be happy to sell us oil, at a very reasonable price, if we as a nation took that position. (Gas would be less than 1 dollar a gallon if only we’d deal with them peacefully and respectfully!) However, the U.S. is not interested in peaceful relations, they want to steal all Venezuela’s resources and keep all the profit to themselves. This is to benefit the ruling class behind all the front-men politicians, Donald Trump included and NOT the American people.
After all, Trump is too busy grabbing his ankles for Netanyahu to be able to think straight about anything!
Folks didn’t believe me, so I approved your statement to prove to them that I wasn’t making things up. Many of us are Cold War veterans, so you’ll make do for the sock puppet famine we’ve been experiencing.
I was thinking when I read Sal’s comment that Sal is Lars spelled backwards if you drop the “r”.
Holy mother, what kind of an information void do you live in? “let the Venezuelans decide how to run THEIR country”. You do realize they were just liberated from their second dictatorship, and had no voice in any decision making? Venezuela WAS very happy to sell us their oil, right up until dictator #1 seized power. Go read some history, then come back and give us a report on what you’ve learned.
Go on. Git!
I kind of liked the “Russia kicking asses in Ukraine” line. Supposedly one of the most powerful militaries on the planet stonewalled by a neighbor a fraction their size… for YEARS. Then there was the $1 a gallon if we only bought Venezuelan gas. Wonder if he’s brave enough to come back?
I hope he does, I shall taunt him a second time!
Wow. Dumb.
Lookie here, Sally:
https://victorygirlsblog.com/trump-venezuela-selling-barrels-of-oil-to-u-s/
Sal, I’ve been hearing this same song and dance since the 1960s, and NONE of it has been true.
Shut your filthy hippie sewer and go away.
I have many questions.
How do we get “OUT” of country that we aren’t actually in?
How did the US “get our asses kicked” in the Ukraine when we have never been there?
Loss of US life = 0
How can the US “steal all of Venezuela’s resources” when the only resources they have were made available through deals with US oil companies that then had their assets and equipment stolen from them?
Before that they had nothing. They almost bankrupted Chevron by stealing all the infrastructure they had built for them.
How do you know what benefit the people of Venezuela will or will not have since the change of government is less than 72 hours old? Have you even noticed that all of the most wealthy countries in the world where the citizens have the highest quality of life have played well with US companies?
Such ignorance is appalling. You should educate yourself before posting again.
NAL,
IIRC, there may (or may not) have been a few military loss of life in the Ukraine (disguised as “training accidents”, etc) during the Bite-Me regime when “they” went/were sent over to talk to Big Dick Z.
Then again, I could be wrong.
Of course that isn’t impossible, but that is a different story.
I get it. “Sal” is an acronym for “Stupid Ass Liberal”.
I think the site you meant to access is this: https://democraticunderground.com/
It brings a tear to my eye seeing one of Boomer’s memes out in the wild.
The above poster is a Russian; I’ve seen this kind of argument on Truth Social and on “patriots.win”. I could generate another post about what these folks do, their manners, the glitch in their fake American persona, actions from their playbook, etc.
What Sal above is doing is accusing the United States of doing exactly what the Russian Federation is doing. This is one of the things in their playbook.
When they use “we” in their comments, one of the things I ask is, “What’s this we nonsense, Russian?”
Waitasec? You mean Commissar brought his handler in here? We have two commies to use as chew toys now?
Santa is a bit late, but I think I like this gift!
I tell you what FOOL, your cornbread ain’t done in the middle if yaknowhutimean, you sound like a brainwashed college freshman who still lives off his parents, there is NO reason, fact, logic or common sense in what you posted. I feel like I LOST IQ points reading your idiotic rant. What was that, a spout-off while you’re getting free internet time at some public library?
Commissar SPAPOS? Is that you changing your name?
Didn’t work. You bias, attitude and uneducated rantings gave you away.
Did mommy run out of hot pockets and cheetos again?
Ooooh! A sock puppet – with the brains of one.
Your ignorance is blatantly obvious to normal people. Having lived in Venezuela, I know that Venezuelans are happy to have their commie dictator removed.
Just look at the videos of them celebrating both here in the US and in Caracas. Presidente Trump soy un secundo Simón Bolívar.
We don’t need to make peace with Russia – we need to defend against them. Make them beg for peace with us! We have all the oil we need right here in the Good Ol’ U.S.A.
Go back to huffing your boyfriends cigar and leave the adults alone.
Scene: the bridge of a US Navy vessel, somewhere in the Atlantic…
OIC of the boarding party: “sir, do I have your permission to sound ‘boarders away!’”
Skipper: “Not yet, son. I’m waiting for a legal assessment from Senator Kelly.”
Great comments today and now off to the kitchen to grab a bottle of soda pop from the reefer and drink it down from my tank ard
It’s all over, except the crying Russians.