U.S. authorities have been pursuing a sanctioned tanker heading to Venezuela to load crude since Saturday, ignoring detention orders. The vessel Bella 1 is part of Washington's pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro's government. This incident is the second of the weekend and the third in a few days.
Late Saturday night, the U.S. Coast Guard spotted the tanker Bella 1 in international waters off Venezuela's coast. The vessel, traveling empty and without a flag, intended to load crude in the South American country. Listed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions since 2024 for alleged ties to Iran and illicit oil transport funding terrorist activities, such as those by the Houthis in Yemen, the Bella 1 ignored boarding instructions following a court order. By Sunday afternoon, the pursuit continued in the Caribbean Sea, according to The New York Times.
This event is the second incident of the weekend. Early Saturday morning, the Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries, owned by a Chinese company. While media reports suggest it was not on the sanctioned list, the White House insists it was. Earlier, on December 10, the Skipper was seized carrying 1.9 million barrels under a fake Guyanese flag.
These actions are part of Donald Trump's offensive against the chavismo regime, including an announced “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. Maduro's government, relying on a “ghost fleet” to evade sanctions, vows to maintain shipments of 700,000 barrels daily to China, its main client. However, exports have plummeted since the Skipper seizure, raising barrel prices and diverting vessels in the region, per Reuters and Bloomberg.