US Coast Guard pursues sanctioned tanker near Venezuelan waters

The United States is pursuing a third oil tanker linked to Venezuela in international waters, accusing it of sanctions evasion. The move follows recent tanker seizures and a US-ordered blockade, escalating tensions as Venezuela condemns the actions as piracy.

Washington: The US is “in active pursuit” of a third oil tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, US news outlets reported Sunday.

“The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion. It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order,” a US official told NBC News.

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Bloomberg News reported earlier on Sunday that the tanker, called the Bella 1, was boarded by US personnel while en route to Venezuela to load cargo. It said later the pursuit is still going on. If caught, the oil tanker will be the third one linked to the oil-rich South American nation and intercepted by the US in less than two weeks, Xinhua news agency reported.

One day earlier, the US Coast Guard boarded the Centuries off Venezuela, a Panamanian-flagged supertanker that is not on Washington’s sanctions list. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on X that the crude oil aboard the Centuries originated from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), which is under US sanctions.

On December 10, US forces seized the tanker Skipper near Venezuelan waters and announced the US plans to keep its oil cargo. On December 16, US President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, announcing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government had been designated as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

According to oil-shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com, dozens of tankers on the US sanctions list are currently remaining in Venezuelan waters. Oil exports are widely seen as the backbone of Venezuela’s economy, accounting for the vast majority of its foreign revenue. Venezuela has accused Washington of seeking regime change and military expansion in Latin America, condemning the interception of oil tankers as “piracy.”