The United States seized on Wednesday (the 7th) a tanker ship linked to Venezuela after a pursuit of more than two weeks across the Atlantic, authorities told NBC News.
The seizure, which could heighten tensions with Russia, comes after the tanker, originally known as Bella-1, escaped a U.S. maritime ‘blockade’ against sanctioned tanker ships and rejected the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard to board it. The vessel is said to have been flying a Russian flag.
To Reuters, an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the operation was being conducted by the Coast Guard and the U.S. military.
