Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text, focusing on the events surrounding the Marinera tanker:
Key Events & Timeline:
* Recent Activity (Today/Yesterday): A lone helicopter, believed to be carrying US Special Forces, approached the Marinera shortly before 1pm. There was an attempt to land on the tanker.
* Location: The Marinera was located approximately 200km south of the Icelandic coast. It made a sudden turn south and slowed down around 11:26am.
* US/UK Monitoring: US and UK forces have been closely monitoring the tanker for two weeks after it left the Caribbean.
* US Preparations: US Navy SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force commandos were reportedly deployed to Britain in preparation for a potential seizure. A P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft was dispatched from Iceland to the tanker’s last known coordinates.
* Previous Attempts: The US Coast Guard previously attempted to board the tanker (when it was called Bella 1) in the Caribbean last month, suspecting it of carrying iranian oil, but the captain changed course and reached Venezuela.
* Name & Flag changes: The tanker was originally called Bella 1, then rebranded as Marinera. It has flown Guyanese, Panamanian, and now Russian flags. It originated in Iran.
Suspicions & Concerns:
* Cargo: Washington is unsure what the marinera is carrying, but fears it could be top-secret military cargo (like missiles) destined for Caracas (Venezuela).
* sanctions Busting: The Marinera is part of a “shadow fleet” used to circumvent sanctions and allow countries like Venezuela and Russia to continue trading oil.
* Russian involvement: Russia claims the tanker is empty, but the US is skeptical. The ship’s recent flag change to Russian raises concerns.
* “Axis of Evil”: The tanker is linked to “Axis of evil” dictators (Maduro and Putin).
Similar Operation:
* The current operation is reportedly similar to a helicopter-borne assault on another sanctioned tanker, The Skipper, last month.
Additional Information:
* The Marinera can carry up to £37m worth of oil.
* Another Venezuela-linked tanker was intercepted by the US Coast Guard in Latin American waters today.