In a dramatic escalation of global sanctions enforcement, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proudly announced the seizure of a Russia-flagged oil tanker — the Marinera — in the North Atlantic, calling it a major victory in Washington’s campaign against illicit oil trade.

The tanker, once known as Bella-1, had been on the run for more than two weeks after evading a U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil exports and refusing to let the U.S. Coast Guard board it. It sailed north across the Atlantic, changed its name to Marinera, and even adopted a Russian flag — a clear attempt to avoid seizure.

Posting the capture on social media, Hegseth — now styled as Secretary of War under the Trump administration — declared that the blockade of sanctioned oil tankers is in “FULL EFFECT anywhere in the world.” He portrayed the operation as part of a larger effort to cut off revenue flowing to sanctioned networks and destabilize illicit oil routes.

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