Marinera ship tracker live: Putin sends navy escort as Trump ‘plans to seize’ banned Venezuelan oil tanker

President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil that had been stuck in Venezuela under US blockades.

The Associated Press reported that the sale could be worth as much as $2.8 billion with oil trading at about $56 a barrel.

Trump said he will control the money from the sale “to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.”

It comes as a further sign that Washington is coordinating with the Venezuelan government since capturing President Nicolas Maduro.

An RAF spy plane appeared to fly over the path of the Marinera in the North Atlantic on Tuesday evening.

The AF RC-135W Rivet Joint surveillance plane, which left RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire on Tuesday afternoon, can be seen to have flown over the same area of the Atlantic as the Marinera on flight tracking platforms.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The US is the UK’s most important defence and security partner, and the depth of our defence relationship with the US remains an essential part of our security.

“I’m just not going to comment on speculation around operational activity, especially regarding other nations.”

International sanctions, including from the US, have aimed to stop Venezuela from sending oil around the world.

But the country has continued to export oil, partly by using a using a “shadow fleet” of old tankers that disguise their location. The Marinera is one of these.

Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan oil expert at Rice University in Houston, told The Independent that about 850,000 barrels of the 1 million produced daily are exported. Around 80 per cent of that oil goes to China, 15 to 17 per cent goes to the US, and the remainder goes to Cuba.

Foreign reporter Alex Croft has more below:

Donald Trump announced a “total and complete” blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers last month as part of a ramped-up pressure campaign against the country.

It came after US military forces carried out a series of strikes on Venezuelan boats in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific last year, which it claimed — without evidence — were carrying drugs to the US.

The US president’s ultimate goal was widely believed to be regime change – something he may now achieve by force after the capture of despot Nicolas Maduro.

A change in leadership in Venezuela, in favour of a president more aligned with US interests, could provide Washington with increased access to Venezuelan crude oil, which is cheaper than crude oil from other countries due to its dense, viscous nature.

Maritime trackers show the Marinera tanker travelling north east across the North Atlantic several days ago.

It is now understood to be close to passing the UK between Scotland and Iceland, and is believed to be heading to Russia, although its destination is unconfirmed.

US officials have reportedly said forces plan to intercept the Marinera following the country’s capture of Nicolas Maduro.

Two sources told CBS News on Tuesday that American forces plan to intercept the ship.

The US would prefer to seize the vessel rather than sink it, the broadcaster reported.

Russia’s foreign ministry said the ship was acting “in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law”.

Russia has reportedly sent a navy escort to join the Marinera oil tanker as it crosses the North Atlantic.

Tensions are high between Moscow and Washington after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Saturday. Russia, along with China, is an unconditional ally of the Venezuelan government.

Previously known as the Bella 1, the Marinera is one of a number of Venezuelan “shadow fleet” tankers operating against US and international sanctions.

It hastily painted on a Russian flag in an apparent bid for protection from Moscow in December.

Russian officials said the vessel is facing “increased and clearly disproportionate attention by the US and Nato military”.