British military are reportedly among Nato forces tracking the tanker
Russia has sent a navy escort to join a Venezuelan oil tanker breaking US blockade amid fears Donald Trump is moving to “seize” it.
The Marinera is one of a Venezuelan “shadow fleet” of tankers carrying oil in breach of US and international sanctions. Currently empty, it hastily renamed itself from the Bella 1 and painted a Russian flag on its side in an apparent bid for Russian protection.
It is on course to pass the UK between Scotland and Iceland as it moves across the North Atlantic ocean towards Russia, and is being tracked by British military aircraft among other Nato forces.
A US official told the Wall Street Journal that Moscow has sent a submarine and other vessels to accompany the ship on its journey and asked the US to cease pursuing it.
The Russian foreign ministry reportedly said it was monitoring the situation “with concern” on Tuesday, according to Russian state news agency RIA. It added the ship is “being given increased and clearly disproportionate attention by the US and Nato”.
It comes after US forces entered Venezuela on Saturday to seize its now-deposed president, Nicolas Maduro, who is in New York facing drug charges.
US Coast Guard following oil tanker, reports say
The US Coast Guard has continued to trail the Marinera into the Eastern Atlantic, where it is now sailing about 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea, according to the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing AIS positioning.
The tanker has been evading interception since the US Coast Guard attempted to board and seize it in December, following Washington's blockade of sanctioned oil shipments to and from Venezuela.
Recap: Why did Donald Trump attack Venezuela?
The US will run Venezuela until there is a peaceful transition of power, Donald Trump said after capturing Venezuela’s left-wing President Nicolas Maduro in an overnight raid on Saturday.
It comes after several months of heightened tensions between the countries, during which Trump accused Maduro of being a top-level member of a drug cartel which he claims is trafficking drugs into the US.
Trump has not shared evidence of Maduro’s involvement but has used these allegations to justify his previous lethal military operations against Venezuelan ships.
When asked about his reasons for actions in Venezuela by Fox News presenter Peter Doocy, Trump also cited immigration as the reason. He said: “One of the things it’s about is the fact that they’ve allowed millions of people to come into our country from their prisons, from gangs, from drug dealers, and from mental institutions.”
Venezuela is also rich in oil and rare earth minerals, which serve as extremely valuable commodities. The South American country has $1.36 trillion worth of mineral wealth, according to Maduro.
How big are Venezuela’s oil reserves?
US officials have said its military may act to intercept the banned Marinera oil tanker as it makes its way northwards across the North Atlantic.
The vessel is one of a number of “shadow fleet” ships used by Venezuela to continue trading oil despite strict US blockades.
Oil is crucial to Venezuela’s economy as it controls the largest known oil reserve in the world, producing around 1 million barrels a day.
Its oil reserves are found primarily in the Orinoco Belt, a region in the country’s east that covers around 55,000 sq km.
The country’s proven reserves are estimated at more than 303 billion barrels, which is the largest reserve worldwide — trumping Saudi Arabia’s 297.7 billion barrels.
US vessels 'ready to serve', southern command says
US vessels in Latin America are “ready to support” agency partners in the region, according to the southern command.
The command, which oversees US military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, said it was “always ready to serve” in a post on X on Tuesday.
“Always ready to serve: #SOUTHCOM remains ready to support our U.S Government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region,” it wrote.
“Our sea services are vigilant, agile, and postured to track vessels of interest. When the call comes, we will be there.”
Trump unveils plan to sell Venezuelan oil
President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil that had been stuck in Venezuela under US blockades.
The Associated Press reported that the sale could be worth as much as $2.8 billion with oil trading at about $56 a barrel.
Trump said he will control the money from the sale “to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.”
It comes as a further sign that Washington is coordinating with the Venezuelan government since capturing President Nicolas Maduro.
RAF spy plane flies over path of oil tanker
An RAF spy plane appeared to fly over the path of the Marinera in the North Atlantic on Tuesday evening.
The AF RC-135W Rivet Joint surveillance plane, which left RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire on Tuesday afternoon, can be seen to have flown over the same area of the Atlantic as the Marinera on flight tracking platforms.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The US is the UK’s most important defence and security partner, and the depth of our defence relationship with the US remains an essential part of our security.
“I’m just not going to comment on speculation around operational activity, especially regarding other nations.”
How Venezuela has been sending oil around the world - despite sanctions
International sanctions, including from the US, have aimed to stop Venezuela from sending oil around the world.
But the country has continued to export oil, partly by using a using a “shadow fleet” of old tankers that disguise their location. The Marinera is one of these.
Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, told The Independent that about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million produced daily are exported. Around 80 per cent of that oil goes to China, 15 to 17 per cent goes to the US, and the remainder goes to Cuba.
Foreign reporter Alex Croft has more below:
Why is there a US navy blockade on Venezuela?
Donald Trump announced a “total and complete” blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers last month as part of a ramped-up pressure campaign against the country.
It came after US military forces carried out a series of strikes on Venezuelan boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific last year, which it claimed — without evidence — were carrying drugs to the US.
The US president’s ultimate goal was widely believed to be regime change - something he may now achieve by force after the capture of despot Nicolas Maduro.
A change in leadership in Venezuela, in favour of a president more aligned with US interests, could provide Washington with increased access to Venezuelan crude oil, which is cheaper than crude oil from other countries due to its dense, viscous nature.
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