US Coast Guard officials are pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, marking the second such action over the weekend and the third in a week. The pursuit in the Caribbean Sea comes a day after another vessel was seized off Venezuela, as the U.S. increases pressure on the country’s oil industry.
Officials told U.S. media that the vessel being tracked on Sunday is part of Venezuela’s sanctioned “dark fleet” used to evade U.S. sanctions. The tanker, identified by news outlets as the Bella 1, has been under U.S. sanctions since 2024 for alleged ties to Iran and Hezbollah. The ship was flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.
U.S. forces approached the tanker late Saturday, but it did not allow boarding and continued sailing. According to TankerTrackers, the vessel was heading to Venezuela but was not carrying cargo at the time.
Former President Donald Trump recently declared a blockade targeting all sanctioned oil tankers traveling into or out of Venezuela. The U.S. has increased its military presence in the region and carried out over two dozen strikes against vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in at least 100 deaths.
Kevin Hassett, White House National Economic Council director, said the first two tankers seized had been operating illegally and supplying oil to sanctioned countries. He assured Americans that these seizures would not significantly affect domestic fuel prices. However, oil traders warn that continued tensions could push prices higher when Asian markets open.
On Saturday, U.S. forces intercepted a second merchant vessel carrying oil near Venezuela, following a December 10 seizure. Both vessels were reportedly bound for Asia.
Trump and his advisers have not ruled out military action against Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called on his navy to escort oil tankers, challenging the largest U.S. fleet deployed to the region in decades. After the first tanker seizure, the Venezuelan government condemned the U.S. action as “blatant theft” and an act of “international piracy.”
Senator James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, expressed support for U.S.-backed regime change in Venezuela, saying Maduro is not the country’s recognized leader. The situation continues to heighten geopolitical tensions in the Caribbean as the U.S. enforces its sanctions and monitors Venezuela’s oil exports.