Soldier of Fortune Magazine The Journal of Professional Adventurers
COMMENTARY by Susan Katz Keating
For two weeks, the Marinera ran. Formerly known as Bella 1, the sanctioned tanker fled the U.S. Coast Guard on the high seas, employing methods that read like a sanctions-evasion playbook. It flew a false flag. It switched off transponders at sea. It attempted to reflag while being pursued. It crudely repainted its hull while underway, and flew the Russian flag. Now, it is one of two cases that illustrate a shift in U.S. maritime strategy – while also exposing the limits of trying to hide behind a powerful patron that protects itself above all else.
For decades, U.S. sanctions and trade restrictions relied largely on financial pressure and compliance monitoring. Today, the United States is moving from paper policy to kinetic enforcement.
The signal flare went up on Wednesday, when the Coast Guard captured the Marinera, warrant at the ready. The same morning, it seized the M Sophia in waters around the Caribbean.
The Bella I had a long history of moving oil for Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force. Blacklisted in June 2024, it didn’t exactly vanish. It renamed itself, switched flags, and kept running loads via ship-to-ship transfers.
The chase for the Marinera began on December 20, when the tanker (calling itself Bella 1) ignored Coast Guard orders to stop in the Caribbean. Instead, it made a run for the Atlantic. While trying to slip away, the crew tried to reflag the ship, hoping Moscow would shield them.
American officials say it didn’t matter. The tanker officially was stateless when first spotted, which under international law made it fair game. The pursuit was on.
“The crew of the USCGC Munro chased this vessel across the high seas and through some brutal storms,” said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. They caught it.
The United Kingdom offered key operational support, officials there said.
This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting, said the UK’s Defence Secretary John Healey.
“This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fueling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine,” Healey said in a statement.
British forces likely included RAF surveillance aircraft, and possibly fighter jets on overwatch, said a former RAF pilot, Air Vice Marshal Sean Bell.
“That might sound like overkill, but once you’ve got Russian submarines and military craft out there, who knows how it might have exercised,” Bell told British media.
As it turns out, the threat was moot. Russian officials complained and grumbled, but the powerful patron did nothing.
The M Sophia, meanwhile, was part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” moving Venezuelan crude through opaque ownership structures to skirt the G7 price cap. Both vessels were captured in a matter of days, showing Washington is willing to go after sanctioned players wherever they operate.
This isn’t just about sticking it to a couple of rogue tankers. Tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude that used to head to China or slide through shady networks are now under U.S. control.
The tools making this possible are rooted in counterterrorism and sanctions law. Executive Order 13224 and OFAC designations give the legal backbone, while the Department of War provides operational teeth.
The combination means Washington can track, interdict, and seize vessels in international waters. Enforcement isn’t a notice in the mail; it’s helicopters overhead, Coast Guard teams on deck, and vessels redirected under U.S. control.
This marks a turning point. Today, the United States is asserting direct operational authority, moving from paper policy to kinetic enforcement on the high seas.
Susan Katz Keating is the publisher and editor in chief at Soldier of Fortune.
