America has seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in back-to-back operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.

US forces boarded the Marinera - originally known as the Bella 1 - between Iceland and Scotland as it headed towards Russia on Wednesday.

Two US officials told Reuters a Russian submarine and warship had been close by.

Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, posted on X: "The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT - anywhere in the world."

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Why was it seized?

The US had been pursuing the Marinera for two weeks since it slipped through a "blockade" around Venezuela.

It was sanctioned in 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The US Coast Guard tried to intercept it last month but it refused to be boarded.

The ship was sailing under a Guyana flag when it left the Caribbean but re-registered under a Russian flag.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said it had a "nefarious history" and was "part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine".

Both seized ships are part of a "ghost fleet" carrying oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela against Western sanctions - mostly to customers in Asia - according to US homeland security security Kristi Noem.

Was the UK involved?

Britain provided "enabling support", including the use of bases, to US forces intercepting the Russian-flagged tanker.

"RFA Tideforce [often used as a refuelling vessel] provided support for US forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air," said the Ministry of Defence.

Mr Healey said UK forces had shown "skill and professionalism in support of a successful US interception" and called it "part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting".

What has Russia said?

Russia's transport ministry confirmed the tanker was boarded at 3pm Moscow time - and called the US raid illegal as the ship was not in any country's territorial waters.

In a statement, it said "freedom of navigation applies in waters on the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states".

A senior politician from President Putin's party, Andrei Klishas, called the seizure an act of "outright piracy", according to Russian state news agency TASS.

TASS said the foreign ministry had demanded Russian citizens on board are allowed to return home and have their rights respected.

Seizure follows capture of Venezuela's president

The Bella 1/ Marinera is the latest tanker to be targeted as part of President Trump's campaign to pressure Venezuela.

It also comes days after US special forces captured the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas and took him to the United States.

He's been accused of being involved in a drug smuggling operation to the US - which he denies.

Mr Maduro's deputy has been sworn in, but Mr Trump has said America will "take control" of Venezuela for the time-being and is open about wanting to profit from its vast oil reserves.

Following the ships' seizure, the US said it was selectively rolling back sanctions on oil blockaded in Venezuela so it can be shipped and sold worldwide.

Proceeds will be distributed to the US and Venezuela at the "discretion" of President Trump's government.

What other tanker was seized?

The US also intercepted another Venezuela-linked tanker, M Sophia, near the northeast coast of South America in a pre-dawn raid on Wednesday.

Dramatic footage shows special forces boarding the vessel from a helicopter and taking control.

The Panama-flagged ship is also under sanctions and departed Venezuela in the last few days - with its tracking transponder off - as part of a fleet carrying oil to China.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said It was operating "illicitly" and the US Coast Guard was now escorting it to America.

(c) Sky News 2026: What we know about 'ghost fleet' oil tankers seized by US - as Russia responds