00:00Navy SEALs hijack $108 million Russian oil tanker. Putin orders submarine to stand down.
00:07At dawn in the North Atlantic, MH-6 Little Bird helicopters skimmed low over gray swells
00:12as Navy SEALs fast roped onto a moving oil tanker. The vessel, later identified as empty
00:19of cargo, was one of two tankers seized that day. The second, the MT-Sofia, was carrying
00:24approximately $108 million in Venezuelan crude. However, according to two U.S. defense officials
00:31cited by the New York Times, Russian vessels were not in the immediate vicinity when Navy SEALs
00:36executed the actual boarding operation on the morning of January 7. Russia's response was
00:42limited to the foreign ministry condemning the seizure as outright piracy and demanding humane
00:48treatment of the crew, a notably restrained reaction compared to previous incidents involving
00:54Russian-flagged vessels. The tanker was part of the global shadow fleet, aging ships that evade
01:00sanctions by changing flags, disabling trackers, and falsifying records. More than 1,100 such vessels
01:08move billions in sanctioned oil each year, making them a key target of U.S. economic pressure.
01:14In December 2025, Trump launched Operation Southern Spear, imposing a full blockade on
01:20Venezuela-linked oil. U.S. naval and air forces have since tracked dozens of vessels, marking a
01:26shift from sanctions to direct maritime interdiction. On January 7, U.S. Navy SEALs boarded the Russian
01:33tanker Marinara in international waters near Iceland, supported by helicopters and Coast Guard cutters.
01:40The high-stakes operation, carried out under a federal warrant, proceeded without incident despite
01:45the nearby Russian naval presence. The Marinara previously sailed as the Bella One, a Guyana-flagged
01:51tanker sanctioned in July 2024 for alleged ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah.
01:58Russia's Transport Ministry reported losing contact with the Marinara's crew shortly after the boarding.
02:04The Kremlin's response consisted solely of foreign ministry statements condemning the seizure
02:09and demanding humane treatment of the crew. The Justice Department argues the tanker became legally
02:15stateless after flying a false Guyanese flag, stripping it of protections under international
02:20maritime law. Oil markets reacted to the dual seizures and broader blockade enforcement,
02:26with crude prices rising modestly as traders priced in supply risks. Goldman Sachs analysts estimate
02:33Venezuela's oil production at approximately 800,000 barrels per day. Maritime intelligence firm
02:39Windward confirmed the Marinara was not carrying oil when seized.
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