U.S. Coast Guard in Pursuit of Sanctioned ‘Dark Fleet’ Tanker Off Venezuela

CARACAS, VENEZUELA (VINnews) — The U.S. Coast Guard is actively pursuing a sanctioned oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela that is attempting to evade boarding, according to a U.S. official.

The vessel, identified by maritime sources as the Bella 1, is described as part of the “dark fleet” — a shadowy network of tankers used to transport oil from sanctioned countries like Venezuela and Iran while disguising their origins and destinations.

“The United States Coast Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” the official said Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It is flying a false flag, and under a judicial seizure order.”

The pursuit marks the third such operation in less than two weeks, following the seizures of two other tankers linked to Venezuelan oil exports. The actions come amid President Donald Trump’s escalated enforcement of sanctions against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, including a declared “blockade” of sanctioned vessels.

The Bella 1, a crude oil carrier, has a history of transporting Iranian and Venezuelan oil, according to tracking data and U.S. sanctions records. It was previously linked to networks accused of financing terrorism.

Venezuela has denounced previous U.S. interdictions as acts of “piracy” and “theft,” vowing to complain to international bodies.

White House officials have framed the operations as efforts to disrupt funding for what they call the “narcoterrorist Maduro regime.”

The ongoing pursuit highlights the heightened U.S. pressure on Venezuela’s oil trade, a key revenue source for Maduro’s government amid longstanding sanctions.