US Escalates Sanctions: Pursuing Third Oil Tanker Linked to Venezuela

Mon Dec 22 2025 17:27:18 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The U.S. Coast Guard intensifies efforts against Venezuelan oil shipments, pursuing a third tanker amid international tensions.

The U.S. Coast Guard is actively pursuing a third oil tanker, Bella 1, linked to Venezuela as tensions in the region rise. This is part of a broader crackdown on vessels involved in sanction evasion. The latest actions come after two tankers were seized earlier this month, escalating the U.S.'s pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government. Accusations of 'piracy' have emerged from Venezuelan officials in response to U.S. maritime actions, highlighting ongoing geopolitical discord.

The U.S. Coast Guard is in 'active pursuit' of a vessel in international waters near Venezuela as tensions in the region escalate. U.S. authorities have already seized two oil tankers this month.

Sunday's pursuit is related to a 'sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela's illegal sanctions evasion,' according to U.S. officials, who noted that it is flying a false flag under a judicial seizure order.

The Trump administration has accused Venezuela of utilizing oil revenues to fund drug-related crime, while Venezuelan officials have characterized the tanker seizures as 'piracy.'

The Coast Guard's movements gained momentum on Saturday when they approached an oil tanker, identified by British maritime risk management as Bella 1, which allegedly was on its way to pick up oil from Venezuela. The U.S. Treasury had previously sanctioned the Bella 1 for transporting sanctioned cargo.

Despite being identified, the tanker reportedly fled into the Atlantic Ocean as the U.S. Coast Guard pursued.

Earlier, on December 10, another vessel named Skipper was seized, accused of transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela to Iran.

On the same day, the Coast Guard boarded another tanker named Centuries, which, though not on the sanctions list, was said to be transporting oil from Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA. U.S. officials claim it assisted in traffic of stolen oil and aid for obstructionist operations against the Maduro regime.

These seizures are part of a broader U.S. effort against Maduro's government. In 2025, the U.S. doubled its rewards for leads on Maduro's capture and declared his regime a Foreign Terrorist Organization, further tightening the economic pressures.

Maduro condemned these actions, labeling them as piracy while emphasizing that they aim to seize Venezuela's vast oil resources. In response to the escalating tensions, the United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency session on Venezuela's request to address what it terms as U.S. aggression.

China expressed its support for Venezuela's stance, criticizing unilateral sanctions as lacking legitimacy under international law, calling for an independent development path for Venezuela.