The United States Coast Guard is actively pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, US officials told Reuters on Sunday. If the operation succeeds, it would mark the second tanker pursuit this weekend and the third in less than two weeks, highlighting an intensifying maritime crackdown in the region.
A US official said the vessel is part of a sanctioned “dark fleet” used to evade international oil restrictions. The tanker is accused of operating under a false flag and is already subject to a judicial seizure order. Officials added that while the ship has not yet been boarded, interceptions can involve close surveillance by sea or air.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not disclose the tanker’s precise location or immediately name the vessel.
Sanctioned Tanker Linked to Iran and Venezuela
British maritime risk firm Vanguard and a US maritime security source identified the tanker as Bella 1, a very large crude carrier added last year to the US Treasury’s sanctions list for alleged links to Iran. According to TankerTrackers.com, the vessel was empty as it approached Venezuelan waters on Sunday.
Shipping records show that Bella 1 previously transported Venezuelan oil to China in 2021, based on internal documents from state oil company PDVSA. The vessel has also carried Iranian crude in the past, according to monitoring services.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the latest pursuit.
Trump Administration Steps Up Pressure Campaign
The operation comes days after Donald Trump announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. His administration has steadily increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, including expanding the US military presence in the Caribbean and carrying out more than two dozen strikes on vessels Washington claims were involved in drug trafficking. At least 100 people have been killed in those operations.
Earlier this month, the US seized The Skipper, the first Venezuela-linked tanker taken under the current campaign. The vessel reached the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area near Houston on Sunday, where its cargo can be transferred to smaller ships because large crude carriers cannot enter the Houston Ship Channel.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said the seized tankers were operating on the black market and supplying oil to sanctioned countries. He downplayed concerns about rising fuel prices in the US, saying only a small number of illicit vessels were involved.
Still, oil markets reacted cautiously. Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate prices both rose about 0.7% in early Asian trading on Monday. Analysts warned that continued seizures could be seen as an escalation, putting more Venezuelan oil exports at risk — especially after one of the recently intercepted tankers was not itself under US sanctions.
Maduro has insisted Venezuela’s oil trade will continue. However, analysts say the growing US focus on oil tankers increases geopolitical risks and could quickly hurt Venezuela’s revenues. Falling exports and filling storage tanks may eventually force the OPEC producer to cut output, according to energy experts.