The U.S. Coast Guard is still actively pursuing a sanctioned oil tanker more than a week after initial attempts to intercept the vessel. This ongoing pursuit is part of President Donald Trump’s pressure tactics on Venezuela, following reports that the United States had targeted a dock facility along the coast.
According to sources cited by The New York Times, the tanker attempted to seek protection under the Russian flag by painting it on the ship’s side. The vessel, identified as Bella 1 by British maritime risk management group Vanguard and a U.S. maritime security source, is a large crude oil carrier that was placed on the U.S. Treasury Department’s sanctions list last year due to its connections to Iran.
President Trump confirmed on December 22 that the U.S. Coast Guard was tracking the tanker, which the administration labeled as part of Venezuela’s “dark fleet” used to circumvent U.S. sanctions. This operation was the second of its kind over that weekend.
Recent developments include the U.S. targeting a facility in Venezuela where boats allegedly loaded with drugs operate, marking the first known land operation inside Venezuela since the pressure campaign began. CNN reported that the CIA conducted a drone strike on a port facility along Venezuela’s coast earlier this month, targeting a remote dock believed to be utilized by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua for drug storage and transportation.
Trump alluded to the strike during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioning an explosion in the dock area where drug-loaded boats were being prepared for shipment. The U.S. military also confirmed a separate strike on a drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in casualties.
Amid escalating tensions, the U.S. has intensified military efforts, including sending warships and increasing forces in the region. The Trump administration has emphasized its stance against drug cartels and the interception of narcotics entering the United States. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the U.S. of aiming to oust him from power through military actions.
In response to these operations, Venezuela’s government press office has yet to comment. Trump’s administration has declared an “armed conflict” against drug trafficking organizations and is committed to disrupting drug flows. This military buildup includes seizing oil tankers and conducting covert CIA operations in Venezuela.