This image from video provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, shows the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro shadowing the MV Bella 1 in the North Atlantic Ocean during the maritime interdiction operation Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Department of Defense via AP) The UK helped the US seize a Russian oil tanker in the North Atlantic, connected to Venezuelan oil, on Wednesday. While Donald Trump’s clampdown on Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry has become clear in the last week, British involvement has some people scratching their heads. Here’s what we know so far and why it matters. What happened? The US seized a Russian-flagged ship called the Marinera – or Bella 1 – in the North Atlantic, along with a second tanker, the Sophia, in the Caribbean as part of a wider crackdown on the Kremlin’s “ghost fleet”. This is a clandestine network of ships used to secretly carry Russian oil to and from its allies, bypassing international sanctions against Moscow’s war machine. The States said both were “either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it”. In a post on X, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said: “The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world”. The US European Command said the seizure of the vessel supports Trump’s “proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and the stability of the Western Hemisphere”. The Trump administration has recently made it clear it wants to extend its sphere of influence across the whole of the western hemisphere. After launching military strikes on Venezuela on Saturday, and deposing the country’s president Nicolas Maduro, Trump announced plans to “run” the nation until a safe transition of power could take place. He has also renewed threats on a handful of other countries, such as Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and Iran along with the Danish territory, Greenland. How – and why – was the UK involved? The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it had backed the American efforts to seize the tanker in the North Atlantic. Defence secretary John Healey said UK Armed Forces “showed skill and professionalism” during the operation to intercept the vessel on its way to Russia. “This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting,” he told MPs. “This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine. “The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.” But the UK’s decision to help the US comes at a difficult moment in their famous “special relationship”. While the British government has not accused America of breaching international law with its moves against Maduro , it has expressed alarm over the States’ renewed interest in owning Greenland. But, after the successful mission against the Russian oil tanker, Keir Starmer finally managed to speak to Trump on the phone last night. While their conversation came days after the US’s Venezuela strikes, it gave the prime minister a chance to mention Greenland directly to the president. According to a readout from Downing Street, “they discussed the joint operation to intercept the Bella 1 as part of shared efforts to crack down on sanctions busting, recent progress on Ukraine and the US operation in Venezuela.” “The Prime Minister also set out his position on Greenland,” it added, without explaining exactly what the PM said. But some MPs have expressed concerns about Britain’s involvement with the Russian tanker. Green Party MP, Dr Ellie Chowns, said: “What was the legal basis for the UK’s involvement in the operation, and why was UK military support for the US’s operation judged necessary? “And why in a week in which President Trump rode roughshod over international law on Monday and threatened a NATO ally on Tuesday – has our government deemed it prudent to hang on US military coattails on Wednesday?” She also asked why the government chose military intervention instead of clamping down on “commercial enablers”. How did Russia react? The Kremlin is still reeling from Trump’s deposition of Maduro, a close ally to Russia, and Putin is yet to comment on what happened in Venezuela. The toppling of Maduro – much like fellow ally Syria president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 – weakens Moscow’s international grip significantly. So it’s not surprising Russia’s transport ministry slammed the seizure of the ship named Bella 1, describing it as a violation of maritime law. “In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the ministry said. It is now demanding the US treats the Russian crew members humanely and decently – while also sending them home swiftly. A lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party, Andrei Klishas, even accused the US of “outright piracy on the high seas”. It remains unclear what impacts – if any – this will have on the US’s efforts to woo Russia and get a peace deal over the line for Ukraine. 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