A slow-motion chase in the Atlantic is testing the limits of President Donald Trump’s Venezuela oil blockade. For nearly two weeks, the U.S. Coast Guard has been shadowing the sanctioned tanker Bella 1, a vessel officials say is part of a “ghost fleet” used to move illicit crude.
Senior U.S. officials said a hastily painted Russian flag appeared during a chase that began near Venezuelan waters and moved into the Atlantic.
Sanctioned tanker tests Trump’s Venezuela oil blockade
The standoff is testing Trump’s effort to choke off Venezuela’s oil revenues by seizing sanctioned tankers heading in and out of the country, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Bella 1 has been under U.S. sanctions since last year for transporting Iranian oil that authorities say helps finance terrorism and is part of a ghost fleet of aging tankers that move sanctioned crude, according to The New York Times.
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Experts cited by the Journal note that international maritime treaties allow the Coast Guard to intercept vessels that lack a nationality or show signs of fraudulent operations. However, seizing a legitimately Russian-flagged tanker would be a more complicated matter.
According to Lloyd’s List, nearly all Venezuelan crude oil is destined for China, even shipments that are initially flagged for Malaysia. China defended these ties during an emergency United Nations session last week.
Sun Lei, China’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., said, “As an independent sovereign state, Venezuela has the right to independently develop mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries and defend its legitimate rights and interest, which should be respected and supported by the international community.”
US case for seizure collides with flag-switch rules
U.S. officials said Coast Guard ships first tried to intercept the Bella 1 on Dec. 21 in the Caribbean Sea. According to the Times, the Coast Guard determined the vessel was not flying a valid national flag, making it subject to boarding under international law. The crew refused to comply, turned away from Venezuela and continued to flee.
The White House said the Bella 1 was a sanctioned vessel under a judicial seizure order and had been sailing under a false flag, according to the Journal. Coast Guard vessels have been shadowing the ship, and officials said there is an internal debate over whether to board an old tanker believed to be empty.
Retired Rear Adm. Fred Kenney, former legal chief at the International Maritime Organization, told the Journal that “merely painting a flag on the side of a hull does not immediately grant that ship that nationality” and said the United States is likely working through diplomatic channels to verify any Russian registration.
Pursuit slows as Bella 1 veers north
The Bella 1 turned northwest away from the Mediterranean Sea, but its exact location is unknown because its tracking transponder has been off since Dec. 17, the Times reported. Two U.S. officials told the Times the ship is not believed to be carrying cargo.
United24 Media reported that the Coast Guard has suspended an active seizure attempt after the Russian flag appeared, but continues to shadow the vessel, while U.S. authorities weigh diplomatic options and legal risks if the tanker is formally registered in Russia. Separately, U.S. forces successfully commandeered two other vessels transporting Venezuelan crude earlier this month, encountering no opposition from those crews.
Sanctions and future seizures keep Bella 1 in the crosshairs
Treasury officials said they plan to target networks that support sanctioned governments. On Tuesday, the department imposed sanctions on 10 people and entities in Venezuela and Iran linked to drone production, including a Venezuelan aerospace company and its chair, vowing to aggressively target any entities that provide access or support to Iran’s military capabilities.
U.S. officials also told the Times they intend to seize additional tankers tied to Venezuela’s oil trade as part of Trump’s push for what he has called a complete blockade of sanctioned ships. For now, the Bella 1 remains at the center of a slow-motion chase in which U.S. forces are in position to move — but have not yet been ordered to board.
