Russia’s shipping registry rebranded the runaway tanker BELLA 1 as MARINERA and adopted the vessel under its national flag, as stated in an X post by @trbrtc citing a New York Times article, shared during the reporting window from 4:46 AM to 6:45 AM UTC on January 1, 2026. The X post, crediting @NickNehamas, noted the rebranding occurred earlier on January 1 between 1:46 AM and 4:15 AM UTC, complicating U.S. forces' pursuit of the tanker linked to Venezuelan oil shipments, according to the New York Times article published December 31. U.S. forces continue pursuit of the tanker, as reported in prior coverage citing the same sources over the past two hours.
