Oil tanker fleeing U.S. forces goes completely dark, but not before the crew pulled a stunt that could spark an international incident

The crew of an oil tanker heading to Venezuela tried a strange trick to avoid the US Coast Guard. They painted a crude Russian flag on the side of their ship, hoping it would keep American forces away.

The tanker, called Bella 1, has been running from US forces since December 21. The crew claimed the ship was under Russian protection while traveling to pick up oil in Venezuela. The ship has been under US sanctions since 2024 for carrying Iranian oil.

According to The New York Times, nobody knows exactly when the Russian flag was painted on the hull. However, it seems to have happened last week after the Coast Guard first stopped the ship in the Caribbean Sea and forced it to turn around.

The fake Russian protection isn’t working at all

The Bella 1 was originally flying under Guyana’s flag. But Guyana’s government confirmed the ship was never registered with them. The Coast Guard wanted to board the vessel but the crew refused to let them on.

Despite claiming Russian protection, the Bella 1 is not heading to Venezuela anymore. American officials said the ship has changed direction and is now heading northwest, possibly toward Greenland or Iceland. 

The ship’s location tracker has been turned off for nearly two weeks. This isn’t the first time people have taken desperate measures on ships to reach their destination.

The Coast Guard already had a warrant to seize the ship because of its connection to Iran’s oil trade. Officials have not explained why they didn’t board the Bella 1 after stopping it last week. US forces have already intercepted and boarded other tankers near Venezuela this month. One of those ships is now docked in Texas.

The Coast Guard is expected to let the Bella 1 leave the area without more trouble. However, they have prepared tactical teams in case they receive orders to seize the tanker. This incident is part of President Trump’s blockade against Venezuelan oil tankers. 

The blockade aims to cut off Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s main source of money. Previous operations have shown how tanker seizures spark international tensions between major powers.

Along with stopping ships, the US also placed sanctions on 10 people and groups in Venezuela and Iran on Tuesday. Venezuela has not said anything about the recent US actions near its coast. However, Maduro has claimed his forces can fight back against any foreign attacks.