Moscow Demands U.S. Allow Swift Return of Seized Tanker's Russian Crew

Russia has urged the United States to allow the swift return of Russian crew members from a tanker seized by Washington in the North Atlantic.

"Given incoming information about the presence of Russian citizens among the crew, we demand that the United States ensure humane and dignified treatment, strictly respect their rights and interests and not impede their speedy return to their homeland," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by state media.

It did not say how many Russian nationals were on board the Russian-flagged tanker, which Washington's forces had pursued from the coast of Venezuela.

U.S. officials say the tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that carries oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions.

The ship had thwarted an earlier attempt to board it last month near Venezuela, where a U.S. raid on Saturday toppled the country's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro.

"The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court," U.S. European Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said in a statement on X.

After the operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth posted that the U.S. blockade on Venezuelan oil was in full effect "anywhere in the world."

Shortly after confirming the successful North Atlantic seizure, the U.S. military announced a second sanctioned tanker ship had been seized in the Caribbean Sea.

U.S. special forces at the weekend snatched Maduro and his wife from Caracas and flew them to New York to face trial on drug charges.

Since then, Trump has said that the United States will "run" Venezuela and U.S. companies will control its critical oil industry.

The North Atlantic operation came despite Russia sending a submarine to escort the empty tanker, saying the vessel was sailing under the Russian flag and was far from the U.S. coast.

"For reasons unclear to us, the Russian vessel is receiving heightened attention from the U.S. and NATO militaries — attention that is clearly disproportionate to its peaceful status," Russia's Foreign Ministry said prior to the seizure.

Venezuelan oil

The vessel, formerly known as the Bella-1, switched its registration to Russia, changed its name to the Marinera and the tanker's crew reportedly painted a Russian flag on the tanker.

The tanker had been en route to the South American country but was not carrying cargo before it evaded the U.S. blockade. It has been under U.S. sanctions since 2024 over alleged ties to Iran and Hezbollah.

Trump said Tuesday that Venezuela will hand over tens of millions of barrels of oil to the United States after Maduro was seized.

Trump said 30-50 million barrels of "high‑quality, sanctioned" Venezuelan crude will be shipped to U.S. ports, with the revenue — perhaps more than $2 billion at current market prices — placed under his personal control.

It was not clear whether Venezuela's new ruler, interim president Delcy Rodríguez, had agreed to hand over the oil, how the plan would work, or what its legal basis would be.

Interim president Rodríguez — a longtime member of Maduro's inner circle as vice president and energy minister — has vowed cooperation with the United States amid fears that Trump could persue wider regime change.

Trump has said Washington is now "in charge" of the South American nation and has vowed a new doctrine of U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

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