US European Command announced via social media that it had seized the tanker in the North Atlantic on Wednesday due to “violations of US sanctions” on Venezuela. It was swiftly followed by the seizure of a second vessel in the Caribbean.
The first ship, formerly the Bella 1, was followed across the Atlantic for two weeks after it tried to evade a US blockade around Venezuela.
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During the pursuit, the vessel was renamed Marinera, painted a Russian flag on the hull and changed its registry from Guyana to Russia in an apparent effort to gain diplomatic protection from Moscow.
Responding to a question about the Atlantic seizure, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that the “arbitrary detention” of foreign ships in international waters “severely violated” international law.
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“China consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions lacking a basis in international law and without authorisation from the United Nations Security Council,” she said.
