Tensions flare as Russian lawmaker accuses US of PIRACY after Trump’s forces seize two ships in daring raids: Live updates

By RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and ROSS IBBETSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Updated: 13:01 EST, 7 January 2026

The United States has seized a tanker linked to Russia off the coast of Europe and a second vessel in the Caribbean in an escalation of the enforcement of the Venezuela oil blockade.

Dramatic footage showed American special forces boarding the M/V Bella 1 in the Northern Atlantic after pursuing it for weeks in an operation inflaming tensions with Moscow.

The Coast Guard also captured a second vessel – the Motor Tanker Sophia – off the coast of the Caribbean in the coordinated operation on Wednesday morning.

In response to the interceptions, Andrei Klishas, a member of the upper house of Russia’s parliament said the US actions were ‘outright piracy.’ 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put the world on notice by saying that the blockade of Venezuelan oil is in full effect, and said no ship is safe anywhere in the world.

The Russian Transport Ministry then responded by saying: ‘no state has the right to use force against vessels properly registered in other countries’ jurisdictions.’ It added that US forces boarded the Marinera at 3pm Moscow time, where communications were shortly lost with the vessel after.

Donald Trump appears to have dismissed the threat of Vladimir Putin‘s forces lurking nearby, including reports of a submarine.

Follow along for the latest updates 

Russian politician calls tanker seizure ‘outright piracy’

Andrei Klishas, a member of the upper house of Russia’s parliament, told TASS state news agency the American seizure of Russian-flagged oil tanker is ‘outright piracy.’

Before the seizure, Russia’s foreign ministry said it was ‘monitoring with concern the unusual situation’ surrounding the ship Marinera.

As U.S. forces moved to take control of the vessel, Russia’s transport ministry said the ship was operating ‘outside the territorial waters of any state’ and that contact with it had been lost.

Soon after, Russian officials pointed to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, arguing that no state has the right to use force against ships legally registered under another country’s jurisdiction.

Venezuela issues 90-day order to ARREST anyone backing US attack as armed motorcycle gangs hunt down Trump supporters in Caracas

Gangs of armed men on motorcycles are patrolling the streets of Caracas, looking for supporters of Donald Trump and his military operation in Venezuela with the support of at least one key government official.

The Colectivos are a group of paramilitary militias that still support deposed leader Nicolas Maduro and have been searching vehicles at checkpoints.

The bikers, many of them masked and armed with Kalashnikovs, have searched phones and cars looking for evidence of people backing Trump’s action in Caracas as an unofficial tool of the state.

Karoline Leavitt responds to question about escalating tensions with Russia

When asked if the seizure of Russian-flagged oil tanker M/V Bella 1 in the Northern Atlantic risks escalating US conflict with Russia, Karoline Leavitt did not answer the question directly.

She said that the ‘Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that has transported sanctioned oil’ and that the ship’s crew would be brought back to the US for prosecution ‘if necessary.’

Russia has responded to the situation by calling for their sailors to return back to their country.

REVEALED: America’s verdict on Trump’s main motivation behind his Venezuela strike… and whether they believe the U.S. should run the country

American voters believe President Donald Trump‘s main motivation for military action in Venezuela is to grab the country’s oil, a new Daily Mail poll found.

That was the top answer in a J.L. Partners online poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday of this week among 999 registered voters.

Overall, 39 percent said Trump green-lit a military operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to get access to the South American country’s vast oil reserves.

Pete Hegseth says military is prepared to continue seizures

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the military is prepared to continue taking ‘leverage’ of seizing Venezuelan oil tankers

‘Our military is prepared to continue this. The president when he speaks, he means it. He’s not messing around. We are an administration of action to advance our interests, and that is on full display,’ he said.

Private sector executives ‘eager’ about Venezuelan oil

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said private sector executives are ‘eager’ to invest in Venezuelan oil.

‘There’s a lot of private sector engagement that’s happening right now,’ Leavitt said.

‘As you know, Secretary Wright, our energy secretary, who’s heading up this big project, is in Florida today, meeting with some of these oil executives, and as we confirmed earlier, they will also be at the White House later this week.’

She added, ‘They’re eager about these opportunities. And Secretary Wright is a very well, knowledgeable guy when it comes to oil and energy, and he’s the perfect man for the job.’

US has ‘maximum leverage’ over Venezuela, Leavitt says

Karoline Leavitt said the United States has ‘maximum leverage’ over Venezuela after the ‘historic and incredibly successful military operation’ that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro.

‘The Trump administration is in close correspondence with interim authorities in Venezuela,’ she said.

‘We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now, and the president has made it very clear that this is a country that is no longer going to be sending illegal drugs to the United States of America.’

Leavitt says speculation over JD Vance’s role in Venezuela operation made her ‘laugh out loud’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she ‘laughed out loud’ when she read a New Yorker piece claiming Vice President JD Vance has not been included in the operations in Venezuela.

‘It’s very clear it’s a fake report that’s trying to sow mistrust and division amongst the president and his team,’ she said.

Speculation over Vance’s role in the operation began when he did not appear in the Situation Room-style photos published by the White House following Maduro’s capture.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calls Maduro an ‘unserious person’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and ‘unserious person.’

‘Diplomacy is always the first option, as you saw, [Trump] tried that with Nicolas Maduro, but unfortunately he was an illegitimate dictator and unserious person,’ she said.

‘So President Trump authorized this law enforcement operation and now Nicolas Maduro is sitting in a prison cell in New York.’

Rubio says change in Venezuela will not happen overnight

Marco Rubio told reporters that change in Venezuela will take time and that it is a process.

‘The bottom line is that there is a process now in place where we have tremendous control and leverage over what those interim authorities are doing and are able to do. But obviously, this will be a process of transition,’ Rubio said.

‘In the end, it will be up to the Venezuelan people to transform their country. I’m not going to give you a timeline on it. We want it to move as soon as possible.’

He added, ‘It’s been four days since this happened. I understand that in the cycle and society we now live in, everyone wants instant outcomes. They want it to happen overnight.

‘It’s not going to work that way, but we are already seeing progress with this new deal that’s been announced and more deals to follow.’

Rubio says US ‘about to execute on a deal’ to sell Venezuelan oil

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the US is ‘about to execute on a deal’ to take ‘all the oil that is stuck in Venezuela.’

‘We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil. We’re going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting,’ he said.

‘That money will then be handled in such a way that we will control how it is dispersed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people, not corruption, not the regime.’

Marco Rubio says Venezuela wants seized oil to be part of deal

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela’s interim government asked that the oil seized by the US this morning be included in a deal.

‘One of those ships that were seized that had oil in the Caribbean, you know what the interim authorities are asking for in Venezuela? They want that oil that was seized to be part of this deal,’ he said.

‘They understand that the only way they can move oil and generate revenue and not have economic collapse is if they cooperate and work with the United States.’

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Tensions flare as Russian lawmaker accuses US of PIRACY after Trump’s forces seize two ships in daring raids: Live updates