After a weekslong chase across the Atlantic, the U.S. took over the Bella 1 in an operation that defied Russian warnings.

The U.S. seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker -- formerly known as the Bella-1 -- which has been linked to Venezuela and was transiting the North Atlantic, according to three sources familiar with the operation. And it also seized another tanker, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

United States forces boarded and seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday following a weeks-long chase on the high seas which has escalated tensions with Moscow and piled further pressure on its ally Venezuela.

Trump reportedly approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill imposing 500% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil after Lindsey Graham announced a pivotal Ukraine policy shift.

The White House said the crew on the Marinera, which had been re-flagged as a Russian vessel, "will be brought to the United States for such prosecution if necessary."

Russia has attacked two foreign-flagged civilian vessels with drones in the southern Odesa region, killing a Syrian national and injuring another, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

This story has been updated to include information from the U.K. Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Navy. A U.S. Coast Guard team and additional federal law enforcement, with support from the U.S. military,

Kyiv resident Nataliya Revutska could have it worse: her apartment is still liveable after a Russian drone smashed into her high-rise late on Thursday,

The US has seized an oil tanker linked to Venezuela after tracking it across the Atlantic, according to a social media post from US European Command.

Enhe was once home to thousands of ethnic Russians. Under Xi Jinping’s push for ethnic unity, little remains beyond nostalgia and props for tourists.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported severe conditions across multiple regions following intensified Russian strikes on critical infrastructure. According to his shared X statement on January 11,