‘Sink American Boats’: Russian Lawmaker’s Threat After US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker

US forces seized the Russian flagged tanker Marinera in international waters north of Scotland under a federal warrant, citing links to sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. The move follows related seizures and has intensified US-Russia tensions while raising legal and maritime sovereignty questions.

US military and Coast Guard units seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic under a US federal court warrant, escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow. The operation in international waters triggered strong protests in Russia and prompted Russian MP Alexei Zhuravlev to warn of possible military retaliation.

US forces boarded the Marinera in waters north of Scotland, far from any national coastline, and then took control of the ship. Russian officials later reported that communication with the tanker stopped after the boarding. Washington said the vessel formed part of a scheme to move sanctioned oil linked to Venezuela and Iran.

Legal dispute over seizure of Russian-flagged tanker Marinera

Russian authorities argued that the seizure of Russian-flagged tanker Marinera breached international maritime law and Russian sovereignty. The Ministry of Transport stated that the Marinera received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian Federation flag on 24 December 2025 and insisted the tanker operated in line with Russian rules and global shipping regulations.

Officials in Moscow pointed to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which protects freedom of navigation on the high seas. Russian agencies said US personnel acted outside any state’s territorial waters when boarding the ship and claimed the use of force against a foreign-flagged vessel violated those legal safeguards.

Wider oil enforcement and seizure of Russian-flagged tanker Marinera

US officials placed the seizure of Russian-flagged tanker Marinera within a broader campaign targeting shipments of sanctioned crude. Earlier, the US Coast Guard intercepted the Panama-flagged M Sophia, carrying Venezuelan oil near the northeast coast of South America. Authorities in Washington described that operation as the fourth similar action in recent weeks.

Military backdrop and political reaction to seizure of Russian-flagged tanker Marinera

The move against the Marinera further strained US-Russian relations, already under pressure from disputes over sanctions and security. Media in Russia reported that Russian naval units, including a submarine, were operating in the wider area during the US operation, raising concerns about the risks of dangerous encounters at sea.

In this tense climate, Alexei Zhuravlev delivered a strong response to the seizure of Russian-flagged tanker Marinera, accusing the United States of acting without restraint. Zhuravlev argued that mild diplomatic protests were no longer effective and called for a tougher line against future US maritime actions viewed as unlawful by Moscow.

"To attack with torpedoes, to sink a couple of American coast guard boats - normally they guard their shore several thousand kilometers away from it - I think the United States, which is in a kind of euphoria of impunity after the special operation in Venezuela, can only be stopped now with such a click on the nose."

The dispute around the seizure of Russian-flagged tanker Marinera left Washington and Moscow giving conflicting legal justifications and showing limited room for compromise. With Russia citing international conventions and the United States stressing sanctions enforcement, the episode underlined how oil shipping and maritime patrols continued to feed broader political friction between the two states.