❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United States Coast Guard is pursuing a sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuelan waters, identified as the Bella 1.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Coast Guard, Venezuelan authorities, and the sanctioned Bella 1 tanker.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Near Venezuelan waters, as of Monday morning.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned ‘dark fleet’ vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.” – U.S. official.
🎯IMPACT: This marks the second sanctioned oil tanker seizure near Venezuela in recent days, increasing tensions with the Maduro regime.
U.S. authorities are pursuing a sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuelan waters, according to reports. The vessel, identified as the Bella 1, is believed to be heading toward Venezuela to load fuel. The Bella 1 was sanctioned by the United States in June 2024 for transporting cargo on behalf of a Hezbollah-linked company associated with the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). A U.S. official said, “The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned ‘dark fleet’ vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.” The official said the tanker is operating under a false flag and is subject to a judicial seizure order.
Other reports claim that the tanker is flying Panamanian flags and previously carried Venezuelan oil to China in 2021. Reuters also reported that, according to tankertrackers.com, the vessel has transported Iranian crude in the past.
The pursuit follows the U.S. seizure of another oil tanker, the Centuries, earlier on Sunday near Venezuela. That Panama-flagged vessel was reportedly bound for Asia when it was intercepted. U.S. forces have carried out multiple similar operations in recent weeks, including a high-profile boarding in which American personnel were filmed airdropping onto a seized tanker.
These actions come amid a broader U.S. crackdown on Venezuela. Earlier this month, President Donald J. Trump ordered a full blockade of sanctioned oil tankers departing from or heading to the country, escalating pressure on the government of Marxist strongman Nicolás Maduro. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has reaffirmed the administration’s policy, saying, “President Trump has been clear: the blockade of sanctioned oil tankers departing from, or bound for, Venezuela will remain in full force until Maduro’s criminal enterprise returns every stolen American asset.”
In response to the seizures and the blockade, Venezuela has moved to protect its oil shipments. The Venezuelan navy has begun escorting tankers leaving the country’s ports, a step the government says is necessary to defend its sovereignty and commercial interests.
The Maduro government has strongly condemned the U.S. actions. Venezuelan officials have described the seizures as acts of “piracy” and have called on the United Nations Security Council to address the issue at an upcoming meeting. Maduro himself denounced the U.S. operations on social media, labeling them “Corsair Piracy.”
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