Russia said that the Trump administration has not followed through on assurances to release two Russian crew members detained after U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker earlier this month, underscoring what Moscow called a failure to implement a decision made "at the highest level."
American forces boarded and seized the tanker Marinera—formerly known as the Bella 1—on Jan. 7 in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit, as part of Washington's effort to block Venezuelan oil exports. The vessel had been placed under U.S. sanctions in 2024 for operating within what U.S. authorities describe as a "shadow fleet" transporting illicit oil.
