Oil Tanker Pursued by America Now Appears to Enjoy Russian Protection

The Coast Guard’s pursuit of a renegade oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean now threatens to become an issue in American-Russian relations as the two nations seek to reach agreement on a Ukraine peace deal.The vessel, the Bella 1, which was not flying a valid flag when American forces first sought to stop it as it approached Venezuela last month, suddenly appeared this week on a Russian ship registry with a new name and an official home port of Sochi, Russia.Apparently confirming that the ship is now under Russian protection, the New York Times quotes knowledgeable sources saying Moscow contacted the State Department on New Year’s Eve to ask for an end to the pursuit. One of those sources said the diplomatic request was also sent to the White House’s National Security Council, the Times reported.The vessel, part of a “shadow fleet” of unregistered tankers carrying embargoed oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela, was empty and apparently headed for Venezuela to pick up oil when it was first approached by American forces. It quickly reversed course and steamed back into the Atlantic Ocean.America has already seized two other oil tankers in the Caribbean as part of an effective oil blockade, part of President Trump’s push to force Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, from power.The Coast Guard has been tracking the vessel since it turned tail on December 20 but has not attempted to board it as it waits for guidance from the White House.The Maritime Executive, an industry news site, reports that the ship had resumed broadcasting its location as of Thursday and was in the North Atlantic between Greenland and the U.K., which could put it on a course for one of Russia’s Baltic seaports.The crew painted a Russian flag on the side of the aging steel ship in recent days, according to multiple reports. It now appears in the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping with the name Marinera, based in the Black Sea port city of Sochi. It is reportedly owned by Turkey-based Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises.The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea states that a ship is allowed to be boarded on the high seas if it is flying false flags or operates without a valid registration. Article 92 of the convention also states: “A ship may not change its flag during a voyage or while in a port of call, save in the case of a real transfer of ownership or change of registry.”“The US is likely working through diplomatic channels to determine if it’s actually registered in Russia,” the former director of legal affairs at the International Maritime Organization, retired Rear Admiral Fred Kenney, told United 24 Media.“Merely painting a flag on the side of a hull does not immediately grant that ship that nationality,” he added.The ship-tracking Marine Traffic website — considered authoritative — shows the ship has undergone a series of name and ownership changes over the past decade.America has sanctioned the formerly named Bella 1 for allegedly carrying Iranian oil for Hezbollah and the Houthis. Officials believe the ship is part of a “shadow fleet” of aging oil tankers that move oil from sanctioned countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela to buyers around the world like China and India, the Wall Street Journal reported.The Trump administration announced a series of new companies and ships facing sanctions this week. It claims that Mr. Maduro’s regime is increasingly dependent on the shadow fleet to avoid sanctions. The Treasury Department warned that companies and individuals involved in the Venezuelan oil trade face significant sanctions risks.“President Trump has been clear: We will not allow the illegitimate Maduro regime to profit from exporting oil while it floods the United States with deadly drugs,” the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said in a statement. “The Treasury Department will continue to implement President Trump’s campaign of pressure on Maduro’s regime.”The United States military has been building up forces in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific for several months, sinking more than 30 boats suspected of drug trafficking. The United States Southern Command has posted several videos on X this week showing lethal kinetic strikes on small boats accused of narco-trafficking from Venezuela. The latest strike killed five people on New Year’s Eve.Also on Monday, Mr. Trump confirmed a Christmas Eve attack on a dock in Venezuela that he said was being used to load drugs onto boats. He wouldn’t identify the agency or military service involved but the New York Times reported it was carried out by the CIA.

Oil Tanker Pursued by America Now Appears to Enjoy Russian Protection

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