The U.S. escalates monitoring of the Marinera, a Venezuela-linked tanker, amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Atlantic.
Following U.S. intervention, a Venezuela-linked tanker has altered its course and is currently traversing the Atlantic Ocean at a low speed towards an uncertain destination. Approaching the GIUK Gap (Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom line), the tanker is under close surveillance by American and Irish air assets. Two U.S. intelligence officials stated in an interview with CBS on Monday that the current plan is to seize the tanker, although this may change depending on circumstances.
Shortly before the New Year, U.S. forces began tracking the stateless tanker named Bella 1, which is linked to Venezuela's oil exports. Previously associated with Iranian oil trade and sanctioned as a VLCC, Bella 1 was approaching Venezuela in an empty state, preparing to circumvent the effective blockade on sanctioned tanker traffic imposed by the U.S. Upon the approach of U.S. assets for intervention, the vessel did not comply with the request to depart and subsequently changed its course.
A slow-paced pursuit has been ongoing in the Atlantic Ocean. During its journey, the tanker changed its name to Marinera and registered under the Russian ship registry. As of Monday, the vessel continues its voyage, reportedly moving at approximately eight knots while passing between the UK and Iceland. Although its official destination remains unknown, if it is headed for Russia, its route is believed to coincide with Murmansk, as the ship is considered too large for Russia's Baltic ports.
Open-source aviation analysts detected that P-8 maritime patrol aircraft belonging to the U.S. Navy were flying near the Marinera while it was passing off the coast of Ireland. According to The Guardian, some transport aircraft belonging to the U.S. Air Force, along with two AC-130J gunships typically used in counter-narcotics operations over Central America, were also observed heading towards a RAF base in the UK. This activity has led to speculation about a possible U.S. military buildup.
Marinera is not the only tanker attempting to evade U.S. oversight. According to the visual research unit of The New York Times, approximately 16 loaded tankers may have decided to leave Venezuela to escape the blockade, coinciding with the U.S. move against former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. It is reported that some vessels have concealed their location and identity information in their AIS systems, while others have become entirely invisible.
TankerTrackers.com reported that at least four vessels—Aquila II, Bertha, Veronica III, and Vesna—have attempted to depart. Samir Madani, co-founder of the consulting firm, stated to Bloomberg that this sudden movement towards the open sea appears coordinated and likely aims to test the limits of U.S. intervention capacity.
Source: www.denizhaber.com
