U.S. authorities on Wednesday seized two oil tankers tied to Venezuela in coordinated operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, according to U.S. officials.

One of the vessels, the Russian-flagged Marinera — formerly known as the Bella-1 — was intercepted while transiting the North Atlantic, three sources familiar with the operation said. The tanker had previously evaded a U.S.-imposed blockade in December. The operation involved the U.S. Coast Guard along with additional U.S. military assets, and Russian military vessels were reported to be operating nearby as events unfolded.

U.S. European Command confirmed the North Atlantic seizure in a post on X.

A second tanker was boarded and seized in international waters near the Caribbean in a separate, pre-dawn operation, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boardings of two ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ships — one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean,” Noem said. “Both vessels — the Motor Tanker Bella 1 and the Motor Tanker Sophia — were either last docked in Venezuela or en route to it.”

The seizures are part of broader U.S. efforts to enforce restrictions on Venezuelan-linked oil shipments amid heightened regional tensions.