Preparing for war? Trump attacked Venezuela, and now Russia has deployed its navy.

News Topical, Digital Desk : A potential confrontation appears to be brewing between the US and Russia over an oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean. CBS News (which is the BBC's media partner in the US) reports that Russia has deployed naval ships and a submarine to protect the Marinera, an oil tanker in the North Atlantic Ocean. The tanker is currently empty. The US military is tracking the tanker and plans to potentially seize it. 

Ship name changed

The tanker was previously known as Bella 1. In December 2025, the US Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean for violating US sanctions. The crew refused boarding. The ship was subsequently rerouted and renamed Marinera. The ship was then flown with a Russian flag and registered in the Russian registry. According to experts, the US could take action based on the IMO number and ownership; changing the flag doesn't make much difference.

US actions and Trump administration policy 

President Donald Trump ordered a complete blockade on banned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela in December 2025, a move Venezuela denounced as piracy. Trump repeatedly accused the Venezuelan government of smuggling drugs into the United States via ships. This incident occurred days after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. On January 3, 2026, the US military conducted a military operation in Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife, who were then taken to New York, where they face drug trafficking and terrorism-related charges.

What is the current situation?

Current status (as of 7 January 2026) The Marinera was in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland, approximately 2,000 km west of Europe. A US official told CBS that they were planning to board the ship and would prefer to seize it rather than sink it. The US Southern Command posted on social media that it was prepared to deal with "prohibited vessels". Russia said it was "monitoring with concern" the situation and that the ship was complying with international law.

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