U.S. special forces heli seen alongside sanctioned tanker

An American military helicopter believed to be linked to U.S. special operations forces has been pictured operating alongside the sanctioned supertanker Marinera in the North Atlantic.

The images, which emerged as the tanker continued to manoeuvre between the British Isles and Iceland, show a helicopter flying at low altitude in close proximity to the ship. The appearance of an aircraft consistent with special operations tasking strongly suggests that preparations for a maritime boarding operation are now well advanced or indeed underway.

Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, is a very large crude carrier sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for its role in transporting Venezuelan oil in defiance of international restrictions. Although the tanker is not currently carrying cargo, U.S. officials have previously indicated that Washington intends to seize the vessel rather than destroy it, in order to deny its future use and reinforce sanctions enforcement following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The helicopter sighting comes amid sustained intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activity across the North Atlantic. In recent hours, a Royal Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft conducted a mission consistent with monitoring maritime communications in the region, while a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft has also been operating nearby. The combination of airborne ISR assets suggests close tracking of the tanker’s movements, communications and any escort activity.

Earlier in the week, open-source flight data showed a surge in U.S. military air movements through the United Kingdom, including multiple U.S. Air Force C-17 strategic airlift aircraft transiting RAF Fairford, alongside repeated movements associated with special operations-capable aviation. According to analysis by UK Defence Journal’s senior editor Jon, the pattern closely matched known preparations for a compliant or non-compliant maritime boarding operation, with early force positioning followed by persistent surveillance once assets were in place.

The operational picture has become more complex with reports that Russia has deployed naval surface vessels and submarines into the North Atlantic to shadow or protect the tanker.