The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing a third tanker in the southern Caribbean near Venezuela, identifying the vessel as the sanctioned crude oil tanker M/T Bella 1.
Sanctioned in 2024 for transporting Iranian oil tied to terrorism financing, Bella 1 refused to be boarded and is actively fleeing the Coast Guard near the Venezuelan coast, according to three U.S. officials cited by The New York Times.
The ship was first approached in international waters several miles off Venezuela’s coast.
U.S. officials said the tanker was operating without a valid national flag and was falsely flying Guyana’s colors, making it effectively stateless under international maritime law. Bella 1 was reportedly empty at the time and believed to be en route to load Venezuelan crude oil.
The incident marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s intensified enforcement of U.S. sanctions targeting Venezuela’s oil sector and illicit petroleum shipments. Officials said a judicial seizure warrant had been obtained and that an eventual boarding was expected.
The pursuit follows two recent interdictions earlier this month, signaling a broader crackdown on tankers accused of violating U.S. sanctions. Administration officials have described the actions as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt illegal oil exports, cut off revenue streams tied to sanctioned regimes, and increase economic pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In early December, U.S. forces seized the M/T Skipper, a very large crude carrier formerly known as the Adisa. The vessel had been sanctioned in 2022 for its role in Iranian oil smuggling networks connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and Hezbollah. After loading roughly 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude at the José terminal, the ship was boarded by U.S. forces via helicopter in international waters while flying a false Guyana flag. The tanker was redirected to a U.S. port, where the oil cargo, valued at an estimated $95 to $100 million, is expected to be seized and sold through forfeiture proceedings.
Ten days later, U.S. authorities interdicted the M/T Centuries, a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan state oil company crude bound for Asia. Although the vessel itself was not sanctioned, U.S. officials deemed the cargo illegal under existing sanctions. The ship was boarded without resistance during a predawn operation in international waters, marking a notable escalation by targeting unsanctioned vessels transporting Venezuelan oil.
The enforcement campaign involves the U.S. Coast Guard with support from the Department of Defense, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. Officials say the actions reflect a more aggressive U.S. posture at sea, increasing the risk of further confrontations as maritime enforcement expands near Venezuela.
As of this article’s publication, the hours-long pursuit remained underway.
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