Russia has deployed a submarine and other warships to protect an empty oil tanker that is attempting to evade the US Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Moscow sent a submarine and other vessels to escort the Marinera tanker, previously known as Bella 1.

NAPLES, Italy — U.S. forces were attempting to seize an Iran-linked oil tanker in the north Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday after pursuing the vessel for more than two weeks, according to news reports.

Tanker loading in Venezuela dwindled on Monday, following U.S. action against two more ships and as state-run energy company PDVSA struggles to recover from a cyberattack.

The U.S. is preparing to intercept a sanctioned oil tanker tied to Venezuela as it attempts to escape U.S. control at sea, reports say.

The Bella 1, the sanctioned tanker fleeing U.S. forces, is no longer expected to return to Venezuela to load up with oil, according to a new report.

US forces intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker that had fled before reaching Venezuela after tracking it in the Atlantic.

The United States seized the Russia-flagged oil tanker Bella-1, renamed Marinera, under sanctions for suspected illicit oil transfers, reflecting a coordinated government operation.

At least two oil tankers have made their way to Venezuela in recent days and others are navigating towards the country, a sign of state-run PDVSA's effort to expand floating storage and keep selling crude even as a U.