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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-pursues-oil-tanker-bella-1-near-venezuela--mulls-pirating">english.almayadeen.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">US pursues oil tanker Bella 1 near Venezuela, mulls pirating the ship</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time">December 27, 2025</div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>The US is attempting to seize the oil tanker Bella 1 after it evaded a Coast Guard approach near Venezuela.</p><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
<a href="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/12/27/a7927b61-ea55-4ccc-9f6f-846cf02b6f2a.jpg?width=1000" tabindex="0"><img src="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/12/27/a7927b61-ea55-4ccc-9f6f-846cf02b6f2a.jpg?width=1000&preset=w700" alt="US Coast Guard boat moves on the East River near the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 (AP)" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"></a>
US Coast Guard boat moves on the East River near the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 (<em>AP</em>)
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<p><a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/oil-seizure-remarks-reveal-trump-s-resource-imperialism-agen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The United States is continuing its pursuit</a>
of a large, rusted oil tanker that fled into international waters near
Venezuela last weekend, with officials now weighing whether to deploy
additional resources to pirate the vessel, <em>CNN </em>reported, citing people familiar with the matter.</p>
<p>US officials no longer expect the tanker, the Bella 1, to return to
port to load oil, as it remains under pursuit by the US military and
Coast Guard. While there is a possibility the administration could <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/venezuela-passes-law-to-counter-us-seizures-of-oil-tankers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ultimately abandon efforts to seize the ship</a>,
officials said plans are currently being considered to send a
specialized Maritime Special Response Team, which is trained to board
non-compliant vessels, to take control of it.</p>
<p>The White House has claimed that the Bella 1 is a \u201cdark fleet vessel\u201d
operating under a false flag and subject to US sanctions. Officials
further claimed that the <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/venezuela-warns-of-us-military-buildup-threatening-region-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ship is covered by a judicial order</a> authorizing its seizure.</p>
<p>The tanker refused to stop when approached by the Coast Guard last
weekend, instead making a U-turn and heading into the Atlantic Ocean,
where it has remained on the move since. One official said there is no
immediate urgency to board the vessel as it continues to sail away from
Venezuela, noting that the ship is currently empty.</p>
<p>Officials said it remains unclear why the crew of the Bella 1 declined to comply with the Coast Guard\u2019s interdiction attempt, <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/alba-condemns-us-seizure-of-2nd-oil-tanker-as-act-of-aggress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unlike two previous vessels</a> that submitted to US authorities under similar circumstances.</p>
<h2>US illegally begins seizing oil tankers near Venezuela</h2>
<p>In December 2025, the United States Coast Guard and military <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/oil-tanker-seized-by-us-near-venezuela-owned-by-china--bloom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intensified actions against oil tankers</a>
near Venezuela, seizing the supertanker Skipper off the Caribbean coast
on December 10, marking a controversial escalation in US maritime
operations in the region. Critics, including Venezuela\u2019s government,
condemned the seizure as a violation of international law and labeled it
an act of piracy.</p>
<p>Just days later, on December 20, <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-pirates-another-tanker-near-venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US forces intercepted another vessel</a>,
Centuries, in international waters near Venezuela, where helicopters
and armed personnel reportedly took control. The operation drew sharp
criticism from regional actors who accused Washington of unlawful
interference in sovereign maritime trade.</p>
<p>The seizure of these ships came amid broader <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/venezuela-demands--35bln-in-reparations-from-us-for-oil-thef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US efforts to pressure Venezuela\u2019s</a>
energy sector, with operations expanding beyond territorial waters.
Analysts noted the aggressive shift in US maritime strategy, warning of
heightened tensions and potential confrontations in the Caribbean.</p>
<p>Venezuela\u2019s government vowed to bring the incidents before the United
Nations, denouncing them as violations of international maritime law.
The moves have raised concerns over the militarization of trade routes
and the erosion of norms governing freedom of navigation.</p></div></div></div>
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