United States Pursues Oil Tanker Approaching Venezuela
The United States pursues an oil tanker near the Venezuelan coast as part of the US blockade.
SUMMARY
The United States is pursuing the oil tanker "Bella 1" in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela as part of the US blockade on oil tankers linked to Venezuela, amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Caracas over oil sanctions.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The United States is pursuing the oil tanker "Bella 1" which is under US sanctions.
- The ship was heading to Venezuela without cargo and flying a false flag.
- Washington has imposed a naval blockade on oil tankers heading to or leaving Venezuela.
- Venezuelan oil has been under a US ban since 2019 and is sold below market price.
- Venezuela denies any involvement in drug trafficking and accuses Washington of seeking to overthrow Maduro.
CORE SUBJECT
US Pursuit of Oil Tanker Near Venezuela
The United States is pursuing a ship in the Caribbean Sea region that was approaching the Venezuelan coast, as part of the blockade Washington has imposed on oil tankers linked to Caracas, according to American media reports on Sunday.
These sources indicated that the ship is the oil tanker "Bella 1," which has been under US sanctions since 2024 due to its connections with Iran and Hezbollah.
The specialized site "Tanker Trackers" revealed that the ship was heading to Venezuela without any cargo on board.
A US official told NBC News—on condition of anonymity—that the Coast Guard is chasing a sanctioned ship involved in illegal sanctions evasion imposed by Venezuela, confirming that it is flying a false flag and is subject to a court order for seizure.
Also read: Washington detains second oil tanker off Venezuelan coast as Caracas condemns "maritime piracy"
The New York Times reported that US forces approached the ship late Saturday night and attempted to intercept it after obtaining permission from a federal judge, but the ship continued sailing.
The United States had announced on Tuesday the imposition of a naval blockade on sanctioned oil tankers heading to or departing from Venezuela and has so far detained two ships accused of transporting Venezuelan oil.
Venezuelan oil has been under a US ban since 2019 and is sold at a price lower than the market rate, especially to China.
In justifying this ban, former US President Donald Trump asserted that Venezuela uses oil to finance "drug trafficking, terrorism, murders, and kidnappings."
The Venezuelan government, for its part, denies any involvement in drug trafficking activities and accuses Washington of seeking to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro in order to control the country's oil reserves.
KEYWORDS
MENTIONED ENTITIES 8
Bella 1
ProductOil tanker under US sanctions
United States
📍 Location_CountryCountry imposing blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers
Venezuela
📍 Location_CountryCountry near which the oil tanker was approaching
Donald Trump
👤 Person_MaleFormer US president who justified the ban on Venezuelan oil
Nicolás Maduro
👤 Person_MalePresident of Venezuela accused by Washington
Tanker Trackers
🏛️ OrganizationSpecialized site tracking oil tankers
NBC
🏛️ OrganizationAmerican media network
New York Times
🏛️ OrganizationAmerican newspaper reporting the incident details