美国周三扣押了两艘与委内瑞拉有关的油轮，包括悬挂俄罗斯国旗的Marinera油轮，原名Bella-1号早在12月就躲过了美国的封锁.
据三位熟悉此次行动的消息人士称,“水手号”当时正在北大西洋过境。据一位消息人士称，此次行动由美国海岸警卫队和其他军事力量执行。局势发展时，俄罗斯军舰在该地区。
在X上的一篇帖子中，美国欧洲司令部证实了这艘油轮在北大西洋被扣押。
美国国土安全部部长克里斯蒂·诺姆(Kristi Noem)说，美国周三还在加勒比海扣押了另一艘油轮。
“在今天的两次黎明前行动中，海岸警卫队对两艘‘幽灵舰队’油轮进行了背靠背的精心协调的登船检查——一艘在北大西洋，一艘在加勒比海附近的国际水域，”诺姆在x上的一篇帖子中说。“两艘船——电动油轮贝拉1号和电动[油轮]索菲亚号——要么是最后一次停靠委内瑞拉，要么是在前往委内瑞拉的途中。”
美国海岸警卫队在过去两周一直在跟踪这艘Marinera油轮，去年12月20日，这艘空船在加勒比海，显然是开往委内瑞拉，美国海岸警卫队试图扣押这艘油轮。
12月31日，俄罗斯海运注册处将这艘名为“水手号”的船只列为俄罗斯船只。这艘船的船员还在船的一侧画了一面俄罗斯国旗。
Bella-1此前悬挂了一面虚假的巴拿马国旗，被怀疑是俄罗斯所谓的“影子舰队”的一部分，莫斯科被指控利用该舰队逃避国际制裁。
该船最近启动了其转发器，允许开源海事跟踪网站定位该船位于靠近冰岛和英国的北大西洋。
英国发表声明称，支持美国扣押这艘悬挂俄罗斯国旗的油轮。
俄罗斯交通部周三在一份声明中谴责了在北大西洋扣押油轮的行为。
“美国海军在任何国家领海以外的国际水域登上该船，与该船失去联系，”声明写道。外交部补充说，“任何国家都无权对在其他国家管辖范围内正式注册的船只使用武力。”
在周三的新闻发布会上，白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特被问及扣押油轮是否有引发与俄罗斯更大冲突的风险。她说，这艘油轮是一艘“委内瑞拉影子舰队船只”，并“被视为无国籍”
“这是一艘运送受制裁石油的委内瑞拉影子舰队船只。该船在悬挂假旗后被视为无国籍，并有司法扣押令。这就是机组人员将受到起诉的原因，”她告诉记者。
美国总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)去年12月宣布，对进出委内瑞拉的受制裁油轮实施“封锁”。美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯(Pete Hegseth)周三表示，“对受制裁和非法的委内瑞拉石油的封锁仍然完全有效——在世界任何地方。”
“美国继续对所有非法运输委内瑞拉石油以资助非法活动、窃取委内瑞拉人民的黑暗船队实施封锁。只有正当合法的能源贸易——由美国决定——才会被允许
特朗普周二晚上宣布，委内瑞拉将向美国移交3000万至5000万桶受制裁石油。消息人士告诉美国广播公司新闻，这些桶是移交给美国控制的第一批石油。
两名熟悉该计划的消息人士告诉美国广播公司新闻，特朗普政府打算无限期监督委内瑞拉石油的销售，对委内瑞拉的一些制裁将被取消。
美国国务卿马尔科·卢比奥(John Kerry)吹捧美国目前对委内瑞拉石油行业施加的“巨大影响力和控制力”，并暗示委内瑞拉希望美国军队周三在加勒比海截获的石油成为其与政府达成的出口协议的一部分。
“我们现在就在当中，事实上，我们即将执行一项协议，获取所有的石油。他们有滞留在委内瑞拉的石油。他们不能移动它，因为我们的隔离，因为它是被批准的。卢比奥在国会山与参议员进行机密简报后对记者说:“我们将获得3000万至5000万桶石油。
“他们希望被没收的石油成为这笔交易的一部分。他们明白，他们能够运输石油、创造收入而不发生经济崩溃的唯一途径是与美国合作。这就是我们所看到的将要发生的事情，”卢比奥说。
US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic and 2nd tanker
The U.S. on Wednesday seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela, including the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker formerly known as the Bella-1 thathad evaded a U.S. blockade back in December.
The Marinera was transiting in the North Atlantic, according to three sources familiar with the operation. The operation was being carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard and other military assets, according to one source. Russian military vessels were in the area as the situation unfolded.
In a post on X, U.S. European Command confirmed the seizure of the tanker in the North Atlantic.
The U.S. on Wednesday also seized another tanker in the Caribbean, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
"In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two 'ghost fleet' tanker ships -- one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean," Noem said in a post on X. "Both vessels -- the Motor Tanker Bella 1 and the Motor [Tanker] Sophia -- were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it."
The U.S. Coast Guard had been tracking the Marinera tanker for the last two weeks after attempting to seize it on Dec. 20 when the empty ship was in the Caribbean and apparently headed to Venezuela.
On Dec. 31, the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping listed the ship -- with the new name of Marinera -- as a Russian vessel. The ship's crew also painted a Russian flag on the ship's side.
The Bella-1 previously flew a false Panamanian flag and is suspected to be part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," which Moscow is accused of using to evade international sanctions.
The ship recently activated its transponder, allowing open-source maritime tracking websites to locate the ship as being in the North Atlantic Ocean close to Iceland and the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom issued a statement saying it supported the U.S. seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker.
The Russian Ministry of Transport condemned the seizure of the oil tanker in the North Atlantic in a statement on Wednesday.
"U.S. naval forces boarded the vessel in international waters outside the territorial waters of any state, and contact with the vessel was lost," the statement read. The ministry added, "No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked at a press briefing on Wednesday if the tanker seizure risked a larger conflict with Russia. She said the tanker was a "Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel" and "deemed stateless."
"This was a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that has transported sanctioned oil. The vessel was deemed stateless after flying a false flag and it had a judicial seizure order. And that's why the crew will be subject to prosecution," she told reporters.
President Donald Trump in December announced what he called a "blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers in and out Venezuela. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday posted the "blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT -- anywhere in the world."
"The United States continues to enforce the blockade against all dark fleet vessels illegally transporting Venezuelan oil to finance illicit activity, stealing from the Venezuelan people. Only legitimate and lawful energy commerce -- as determined by the U.S. -- will be permitted," Hegseth posted to X.
Trump announced on Tuesday night that Venezuela will turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the U.S. Sources told ABC News that those barrels represent the first tranche to be handed over to U.S. control.
The Trump administration intends to oversee the sale of Venezuela's oil indefinitely and some sanctions against Venezuela will be lifted, two sources familiar with the plan told ABC News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio touted the "tremendous leverage and control" the United States now exerts over Venezuela's oil industry and suggested Venezuela wants the oil captured in the Caribbean on Wednesday by U.S. forces to be a part of its export deal with the administration.
"We are in the midst right now, and in fact, about to execute on a deal to take all the oil. They have oil that is stuck in Venezuela. They can't move it because of our quarantine and because it's sanctioned. We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil," Rubio told reporters after a classified briefing with senators on Capitol Hill.
"They want that oil that was seized to be part of this deal. They understand that the only way they can move oil and generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States. And that's what we see are going to happen,"Rubio said.
