The aging oil tanker Bella 1 has been trailed by the U.S. Coast Guard for nearly two weeks after it refused an interdiction on Dec. 21. Crew members appear to have painted a crude Russian-style flag on the hull — a move U.S. officials say could be intended to claim Russian protection and complicate a seizure. Bella 1 is under U.S. sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian oil, its Equasis registration is listed as "not known," and a Maritime Special Response Team has been readied should the White House order another boarding.
US-Pursued Tanker Bella 1 Shows Crude Russian-Style Flag as Coast Guard Trails Vessel
Images captured on March 18, 2025 show the Bella 1 vessel, which the US has been pursuing away from Venezuela. - Hakon Rimmereid/Reuters/File
Crew members aboard the aging, rust-streaked oil tanker Bella 1 appear to have painted a rough, Russian-style flag on the vessel's hull, U.S. officials said. The emblem was spotted by Coast Guard personnel who have been shadowing the ship from roughly a half-mile behind as it sails through the open Atlantic away from Venezuela.
The Bella 1 has been the subject of a slow-moving maritime pursuit since Dec. 21, when the tanker made a U-turn in the Caribbean Sea after the Coast Guard attempted to interdict it as it headed toward Venezuela to pick up oil. The vessel has resisted seizure attempts and has been evading boarding ever since.
U.S. officials described the flag as hastily and sloppily painted by the crew. The tanker is currently subject to U.S. sanctions amid allegations it has been transporting Iranian oil. When the Coast Guard first sought to board the Bella 1, officials said it was flying a Guyanese flag that they judged to be invalid; Equasis now lists the ship's registration as "not known." The New York Times first reported the appearance of the painted flag.
Legal And Operational Implications
By asserting a Russian connection, the crew may be attempting to complicate the legal basis for a U.S. seizure. If the vessel were regarded as under Russian protection, boarding or taking control could raise diplomatic and jurisdictional issues, potentially slowing or altering U.S. action.
U.S. officials said they now believe the Bella 1 is unlikely to return to Venezuela to load oil. Nevertheless, U.S. assets have been readied in the event the White House orders another boarding. Such an operation would likely require a Maritime Special Response Team — a unit trained to board and secure vessels that refuse to submit to seizure.
Background
The pursuit grew out of a Trump administration directive to interdict and block shipments of sanctioned Venezuelan oil as part of efforts to squeeze President Nicolas Maduro's principal economic lifeline. Officials say pressuring Venezuela's oil exports is intended to increase leverage against the Maduro government.
It remains unclear why Bella 1's crew refused to stop and comply with Coast Guard interdiction efforts, particularly after two other tankers agreed to be boarded earlier in the month. For now, the vessel continues to sail under observation while U.S. authorities consider next steps.
Note: Details, including the painted flag and the ship's registration status, were reported by U.S. officials and covered in reporting by The New York Times.
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