shadow fleet

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He Has an Idea for Getting Sanctioned Tankers Off the Seas

Scrap giant GMS seeks a license to dismantle sanctioned oil tankers

(Newser) - A company that usually profits from tearing ships apart now wants to dismantle some of the most controversial vessels at sea. The Wall Street Journal reports that GMS, the world's biggest cash buyer of ships for scrap, has asked the US Treasury for permission to purchase tankers tied to...

US Seizes a Fifth Oil Tanker: 'No Safe Haven for Criminals'

US boards Olina in search for sanctioned Venezuelan oil, heightening tensions with Russia

(Newser) - US forces have quietly expanded their hunt for sanctioned Venezuelan oil , boarding a fifth tanker early Friday as part of a growing maritime crackdown with global implications. US officials say the latest target is the Olina, an East Timor-flagged ship previously known as the Minerva M and under US sanctions...

US Seizes Not One but Two Venezuela-Linked Tankers
US Seizes 2 Oil Tankers
in Back-to-Back Actions
the rundown
Jan 7, 2026 11:21 AM CST

US Seizes 2 Oil Tankers in Back-to-Back Actions

UK says it assisted with the taking of the Bella 1

(Newser) - US forces took control of two oil tankers tied to Venezuela in separate operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean on Wednesday, escalating Washington's pressure campaign on the country's sanctioned oil trade. In addition to the seizure of the Russian-flagged Bella 1 , which the US had been pursuing...

US Seizes Oil Tanker Russia Had Been Protecting

Russia sent escorts for the rechristened Marinera, which had been pursued by US Coast Guard

(Newser) - The US on Wednesday moved in on a Russian-flagged oil tanker tied to Venezuela and managed to seize it. The New York Times reports the US military's European Command on X confirmed the "seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions. The vessel was seized...

Trump Issues Warning to Maduro
Trump Has a
Warning for Maduro
Dec 23, 2025 1:00 AM CST

Trump Has a Warning for Maduro

'If he plays tough, it'll be the last time he'll ever be able to play tough'

(Newser) - President Trump on Monday delivered a new warning to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the US Coast Guard steps up efforts to interdict oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea as part of the Republican administration's escalating pressure campaign on the government in Caracas. Trump was surrounded by his...

This Alleged Ukrainian Attack Is Different

Kyiv's sea drones reportedly hit sanctioned tankers outside of Russian waters

(Newser) - Ukraine's war is increasingly being waged far from its own shores—this time against the tankers that keep Russian oil flowing. CBS News reports that Ukrainian security service sources say Kyiv used "Sea Baby" naval drones to hit at least two sanctioned crude carriers, Kairos and Virat, in...

France Arrests Captain of 'Shadow Fleet' Tanker

Ship intercepted by French navy may have been involved in Denmark drone incidents

(Newser) - The captain of a suspected "shadow fleet" oil tanker intercepted off France has been taken into custody and will go on trial in February, authorities confirmed Thursday. Prosecutors say the captain, a Chinese national, and the first officer were arrested after the French navy boarded the Boracay, though the...

NATO Responds to Suspected Sea Cable Sabotage

Ship seized after data cable between Sweden, Latvia cut

(Newser) - Swedish authorities boarded and seized a ship in the Baltic Sea on Monday after the alleged sabotage of yet another undersea data cable. Latvian authorities said the cable between Latvia and Sweden was damaged on Sunday, likely as the result of external interference, reports Reuters . The suspected sabotage drew the...

Biden Hits Russia With Sanctions Ahead of Trump

Intent is to hurt funding for war against Ukraine, Yellen says

(Newser) - President Biden's administration announced Friday that it's expanding sanctions against Russia's critically important energy sector, unveiling a new effort to inflict pain on Moscow for its grinding war in Ukraine as President-elect Trump returns to office vowing to quickly end the conflict. (Trump is planning to meet...

Finland Seizes Tanker Tied to Russia Over Cut Cable

Eagle S is part of Russia's sanction-dodging shadow fleet, EU and Finnish officials say

(Newser) - Police in Finland said they stopped, boarded, and took over the command bridge of an oil tanker in the Baltic Sea on Thursday that's suspected of involvement in the destruction of an underwater power cable. The Eagle S is being held in Finnish territorial waters, the AP reports. Finnish...

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