Oleg Davygora23:09, 01.01.26

The vessel, which originated in Iran, was en route to Venezuela for oil when US forces attempted to stop and board it in the Caribbean Sea.

The Russian government sent a formal diplomatic request to the United States demanding that it cease pursuit of an oil tanker en route to Venezuela and evading Coast Guard surveillance in the Atlantic Ocean, according to  The New York Times .

It is noted that the request was sent to the State Department and the White House National Security Council late on New Year’s Eve. Russia’s demand that the United States cease pursuing the vessel could add a new layer of complexity to the Ukraine peace talks.

US forces have been tracking the tanker known as the Bella 1 for nearly two weeks. The vessel, which originated in Iran, was en route to Venezuela for oil when US forces attempted to stop and board it in the Caribbean Sea. US authorities claimed the vessel was not flying a valid national flag, making it a stateless vessel subject to boarding under international law. They claimed to have an arrest warrant, but the crew refused to comply and returned to the Atlantic.

In the following days, the vessel attempted to claim Russian protection: its crew painted a Russian flag on board and radioed the coast guard that they were under Russian control. It recently appeared in the official Russian ship registry under the new name “Mariner,” with its home port in Sochi on the Black Sea.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to ongoing law enforcement matters, stated that the Trump administration continues to view the tanker as “stateless” because it was flying a false flag when the Coast Guard first approached it. The publication writes:

“While obtaining Russian protection for the Bella 1 may be unlikely under international law, Russia’s diplomatic intervention could complicate a US attempt to seize the tanker, given the ongoing conflict with Venezuela.”

David Tannenbaum, a former Treasury Department sanctions compliance official, said it was “unclear” whether the “overnight flag registration” Russia granted the vessel would be valid.

American blockade of Venezuela

Trump imposed a quasi-blockade on some tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, seeking to put pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro. Oil exports, primarily to China, keep Venezuela’s economy afloat. The United States has so far seized and taken control of two more tankers in the Caribbean. American officials have announced plans to seize more vessels.

The dispute over the tanker has erupted amid President Trump’s efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine and his repeated complaints about his inability to end the war. Earlier this week, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago , his private club and residence in Florida, and both leaders expressed optimism about ending the war.

(C)UNIAN 2025