A Venezuela-linked tanker is still being chased by U.S. authorities in Caribbean waters, refusing to let Coast Guard crews board as specialized teams move into position for a possible forced seizure. The vessel, known as Bella 1, keeps moving while cutters and surveillance aircraft take turns shadowing it.
The chase may prove to be the sharpest test of U.S. sanctions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, combining White House pressure with Coast Guard boarding authority under maritime law, according to federal officials familiar with the situation. Since September pressure has been amplified on Maduro as officials claim his nation is using narco-trafficking vessels to bring drugs to the U.S., which the Venezuelan leader has denied and instead blamed on the United States' push to steal its resources. Strikes on multiple vessels have resulted in dozens of deaths.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States had already seized another tanker off Venezuela’s coast as part of a campaign to target ships carrying sanctioned crude, framing the operation as proof that his administration would “take the oil” away from Maduro’s government. He and advisers later argued that seizing tankers and diverting cargo fits a broader effort to “get the oil back,” even as legal and military experts raised questions about the risks of expanding that strategy.
Recent interdictions show how quickly that campaign escalated. U.S. forces stopped a second sanctioned merchant vessel off Venezuela in international waters after that ship halted and allowed what officials described as a consented boarding—a move they said was designed to signal that sanctioned cargo could be intercepted even without a dramatic confrontation at sea. Within days, U.S. officials were also tracking a third tanker in the region that they believed was helping Venezuela move restricted oil, underscoring how quickly pressure on Maduro’s export network was building.
Coast Guard and U.S. Southern Command are referring all questions to the White House. Military.com has not yet received a response from White House officials, though Trump said Wednesday the United States would “end up getting it” and would not allow sanctions to be undercut at sea.
Federal officials with knowledge of operational planning said the Coast Guard is prepared to wait for specialized teams trained in high-risk boardings instead of attempting a forced entry with standard law enforcement crews. The units, called Maritime Security Response Teams, carry equipment and breaching tools for confined spaces, oil-coated decks and non-cooperative crews.
Oil Endeavors
EIAMedia, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, sent Military.com updated export figures showing where Venezuela’s oil is now headed.
The data essentially shows less oil for the U.S. and more for China, the latter of whose purchases nearly doubled while U.S.-bound barrels dropped sharply. Malaysia also saw a jump, which analysts said signals ownership chains and ship-to-ship transfers that make cargo harder to trace.
Analysts warn that even if the Bella 1 is stopped, others can reroute and keep revenue flowing to Maduro’s government.
A U.S. court recently authorized seizure authority for vessels tied to sanctioned cargo if they ignore lawful orders. Federal officials said that ruling set the conditions for a forced boarding if the Bella 1 stays mobile long enough for interdiction teams to close distance.
As seizures mounted, Venezuela’s National Assembly moved to criminalize actions it describes as piracy and blockades at sea, portraying foreign seizures of tankers as an attack on the country’s sovereignty and commercial lifelines.
Simultaneously, Washington lawmakers have argued over how far these operations should go. Some members of Congress pushed to rein in Trump’s ability to use military and maritime power against Venezuela-linked targets after early boat strikes and interdictions, warning that aggressive tactics at sea risk sliding into a broader conflict and should be more tightly bound by war powers limits.
Military.com reached out for comment to officials at the Departments of Treasury, State, Southern Command, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Energy, and the Maritime Administration. Several agencies acknowledged inquiries. Others did not respond before publication.
Forced Boarding Could Rewrite US Strategy
A boarding attempt on the Bella 1 would do more than stop a ship. It would test whether U.S. sanctions still have legitimacy at sea, or if vessels tied to Maduro can stay ahead of enforcement by never stopping long enough to be boarded.
Maritime Security Response Teams train for this scenario with full-scale mock tankers, breaching drills and casualty simulations built around cramped corridors and unpredictable crews, according to personnel familiar with training pipelines. Their gear is designed for missions where ladders slip on oil, radios cut out and resistance begins without warning. These can be live-or-die operations in real time.
Commanders weigh a tight list of triggers before moving, according to senior defense officials. The captain must ignore lawful orders. Seas need to cooperate. Any aggression or sign of resistance risks shifting the mission from enforcement to combat. Those factors drive the decision to stay in the chase or climb the rail and take the ship.
Failure would echo across global energy markets; sanctions networks could claim a win. Other tankers might test U.S. resolve in new lanes. Buyers in China and Malaysia might treat distance as a shield. Russia and Iran could frame the standoff as evidence that Washington cannot enforce sanctions once vessels leave port.
Success would create a different reality. It would show Washington can still block sanctioned crude before it reaches foreign buyers. It could push allies to join enforcement and warn shippers there is a point where a flag of convenience cannot protect them. It might even force Beijing to respond if energy flows get disrupted.
Big Decisions
Cutters will track fuel levels and speed changes for any hint the Bella 1 plans to dock, drift or meet a partner vessel for transfer, according to officials familiar with the operation. Tankers running low on fuel often slow near anchorages, and even a course correction toward Venezuelan waters or a neutral port could trigger a surge of U.S. assets.
Trump’s vow to capture the ship puts political weight on Coast Guard commanders who must decide if a ladder-up boarding is worth the risk of injuries, international scrutiny, or a broader fight over maritime jurisdiction.
Federal officials and analysts warn that oil routes to China and Southeast Asia could become diplomatic leverage if interdictions disrupt supply.
