Oil tanker pursued by US away from Venezuela now has a Russian flag painted on its side
CNN••general
Key Points:
- The crew of the oil tanker Bella 1, pursued by the US for nearly two weeks, painted a crude Russian flag on the ship’s hull, likely to claim Russian protection and complicate seizure efforts.
- The tanker, originally flying under an invalid Guyana flag, has been evading US interdiction since December 21 after making a U-turn in the Caribbean Sea and is now sailing in the Atlantic away from Venezuela.
- The Bella 1 is under US sanctions for allegedly shipping Iranian oil, and the vessel’s current registration is unknown, raising legal challenges for the US in attempting to seize it.
- US officials no longer expect the tanker to return to Venezuela and may abandon the seizure effort, but remain prepared with a Maritime
