Crew members aboard the aging, rusting oil tanker that the United States has been tracking at sea for nearly two weeks appear to have hastily painted a crude Russian flag on the vessel’s hull, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.
American authorities believe the makeshift insignia is an attempt by the crew to claim Russian protection.
Coast Guard personnel, trailing the tanker from roughly half a mile behind as it navigates the open Atlantic away from Venezuela, were the first to spot the new flag, the official said.
It remains unclear when the symbol was added to the side of the Bella 1. The tanker has been evading seizure since December 21, when it executed a U-turn in the Caribbean Sea after the Coast Guard attempted to interdict it en route to Venezuela to pick up oil. It has been on the run ever since.
The newly painted flag, described by U.S. officials as sloppy, represents the latest twist in the slow-moving pursuit of the vessel, which is under U.S. sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian oil.
The New York Times was the first to report on the development.
Initially, U.S. authorities said the Bella 1 was flying a Guyanese flag, which they deemed invalid, when the Coast Guard tried to board it. Its current registration now appears as “not known” in the shipping database Equasis.
By asserting Russian status, the legal framework for seizing the vessel could become more complicated.
Officials no longer anticipate that the tanker will return to Venezuela to load oil, and there is a possibility the Trump administration may abandon its efforts to seize it.
However, U.S. assets remain on standby should the White House issue an order to attempt another seizure, which would require a Maritime Special Response Team experienced in boarding noncompliant vessels.
The operation is part of former President Trump’s directive to enforce a “blockade” on Venezuelan oil tankers under sanctions.
Administration officials view targeting Maduro’s primary economic resource as a potential means to pressure the authoritarian leader.
U.S. officials remain uncertain why the Bella 1’s crew has not stopped and complied with the Coast Guard, as two other oil tankers had done earlier this month.
