It’s been a busy day for the United States armed services. (It’s been a busy New Year for them, actually.)

The news broke early this morning that the former “Bella 1” oil tanker, which the Coast Guard had been attempting to corner and board for a couple of weeks, was finally seized. But then the United States Southern Command added to the fun by announcing that they had seized a second oil tanker in the Caribbean.

The operation to seize the sanctioned vessel, which changed its name from the Bella 1 to the Marinera after fleeing the American blockade of Venezuela last month, was carried out early Wednesday. The U.S. also announced the seizure of another sanctioned tanker, the M/T Sophia, which it said was “conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.”

The U.S. European Command confirmed the seizure of the Marinera for violating U.S. sanctions. “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,” it said in a post on X.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill that the tankers were seized as part of “stabilization” efforts for Venezuela.

He said that the interim authorities in Venezuela “understand the only way they can move oil, generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States.”

The U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced on X that the U.S. had also apprehended M/T Sophia, “a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker” that it said was “operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.”

The Armed Forces got a new game for Christmas and have been stacking up side quests for a week straight. https://t.co/19h4bqZjVT

— Magills (@magills_) January 7, 2026

Russia now has their panties in a twist, because the “Bella 1″/Marinera oil tanker was sailing under the Russian flag, and was attempting to pick up an escort of a Russian submarine. Now Russia is “upset.”

The U.S. Coast Guard captured the Motor Tanker Bella 1, located in the North Atlantic, during a pre-dawn operation. The tanker had reportedly changed its name to the Marinera and was reflagged from a Guyanese to a Russian vessel.

Russia’s transportation ministry released a statement saying U.S. Navy forces boarded the ship at roughly 3 p.m. Moscow time, or 7 a.m. EST, upon which “contact with it was lost.” It also confirmed the ship received temporary permission to fly the Russian flag on Dec. 24.

“No state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the ministry added.

Russia, a staunch supporter of captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, had also reportedly deployed a submarine to help escort it across the ocean.

They also want any of their citizens who just happened to be on the oil tanker returned. Can someone please ask Russia why any of their citizens would be on a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker that until recently was flying Guyanese colors?

The Russian Foreign Ministry told state news agency Tass it was closely monitoring the situation and demanded the humane treatment and “prompt return” of Russian citizens onboard.

Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky told Tass the seizure was “unquestionably a violation of maritime law and UN conventions,” while Senator Andrei Klishas, of the Putin-aligned United Russia party, said on Telegram that the U.S. had “turned to outright piracy on the high seas.”

The seizure of the M/T Sophia seems like it was more of a “right place, right time” moment for the Coast Guard.

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.

The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and… pic.twitter.com/JQm9gHprPk

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 7, 2026

If President Trump posts “All your oil tankers are belong to us” or something equally trolling, it will simply be the cherry on top of this entire story. These seizures of these oil tankers are reinforcing the message that what happens in the Western Hemisphere is STAYING in the Western Hemisphere, under the eye of the United States. Russia need not apply, or offer up their flag as cover. And yes, they are offering up their flag to other oil tankers in an attempt to give them cover.

At least three other sanctioned oil tankers that were operating near Venezuela in recent weeks have changed their flags to Russia, according to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. The ships — the Malak, now renamed the Sintez; the Dianchi, now the Expander; and the Veronica, now the Galileo — had previously been sailing under the flags of Comoros and Guyana, according to MarineTraffic.

Something tells me that the Coast Guard has made their list, checked it twice, and is now on the lookout for Russian flags over those targets. Happy hunting, Coasties!

In the meantime, President Trump has not been shy that he wants this oil, and he’s using it as a leverage point to get the current leadership of Venezuela to play ball. It would be wise, while the Coast Guard is busy taking in these oil tankers, for the United States to lay out a roadmap that specifically details when new elections in Venezuela would take place, and how the results would be secured and guaranteed after the last rigged election. Maduro might be out of the picture, but far too many of his allies are still sitting in positions of power. Seizing oil tankers and enforcing the embargo is important, but it is time to make it plain to the people of Venezuela what President Trump has in mind for the future.

Featured image: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (the cutter involved in the seizure of the Bella 1/Marinera) photo taken April 18, 2022 by U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Nate Littlejohn, cropped, public domain