SEIZED

British military help US forces capture Russia-linked oil tanker off Scotland

- BY RICHARD ELIAS

THE British military was involved in the dramatic seizure by US forces of a Venezuelan oil tanker off the coast of northern Scotland.

The Marinera was intercepted and captured in the North Atlantic as she attempted to sail north east en route to Russia.

American spy planes had been tracking the huge vessel for days as she tried to flee the South American country.

The Russians had scrambled a submarine and other naval vessels on Wednesday morning to defend the tanker as it tried to evade Donald Trump's Venezuela blockade.

But Moscow's last-ditch efforts were thwarted when US troops boarded the vessel hours later.

Britain said it provided "enabling support" to the Americans.

The Ministry of Defence said the UK provided a RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane to intercept signals intelligence from the ship, flown by RAF pilots and manned by civilian spooks from GCHQ.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the operation as "meticulously coordinated".

A spokesman for US European Command said in a statement: "This seizure supports @POTUS Proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere."

It happened hours after another Venezuelan oil tanker, the Sophia, was also seized by the Americans, this one in the Caribbean, where, according to officials in Washington DC, she had been "conducting illicit activities".

Marinera was seized despite trying to disguise herself by changing her name mid-voyage. Initially, the Venezuelan-registered vessel was known as Bella-1 but days ago she was given permission by Moscow to fly under the Russian flag.

The two-week-long pursuit demonstrates US President Trump's determination to crack down on Venezuela, which he blames for sending drugs worth billions of dollars into the US as well as flooding it with illegal immigrants.