US Tracking Third Oil Tanker Near Venezuela... Seizure Order Issued

The United States Coast Guard is tracking an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, according to reports by Reuters and other outlets on the 21st (local time).

A U.S. government official stated on the same day, "The U.S. Coast Guard is tracking a vessel belonging to the sanctioned 'dark fleet'-a group of ships, including oil tankers, that illegally transport crude oil and other goods to evade international sanctions-participating in Venezuela's illicit sanctions evasion." The official added that the vessel is flying a false flag and is subject to a judicial seizure order.

Oil tanker docked at a port in Venezuela. Photo by AP Yonhap News.

Another official confirmed that the oil tanker is under sanctions, but no boarding inspection has yet been conducted.

Vanguard, a UK-based maritime risk management organization, and a source from the U.S. maritime enforcement authorities told Reuters that the vessel in question is the 'Bella 1,' an oil tanker sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Bloomberg News reported that the ship was en route to Venezuela to load crude oil.

The 'Bella 1,' which flies the Panamanian flag, previously transported Venezuelan crude oil to China in 2021 and also has a record of transporting Iranian crude oil.

On December 16, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the Maduro regime in Venezuela had been designated as a 'foreign terrorist organization' and declared a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela.

The U.S. military seized the sanctioned oil tanker 'Skipper' off the coast of Venezuela on December 10, and subsequently, on December 20, seized the Panama-flagged oil tanker 'Centuries' near the Venezuelan coast. If the Bella 1 is also seized, it would mark the third seizure of a Venezuela-related oil tanker by the U.S. this month.

Meanwhile, Kevin Hassett, Chairman of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), stated in a CBS interview that the two previously seized oil tankers had been supplying oil to sanctioned countries. Regarding concerns about the potential impact on U.S. oil prices due to the blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, he said, "Only a handful of vessels are involved, and all of them were black market ships."