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US Coast Guard Halts Seizure of Sanctioned Oil Tanker After Russian Flag Appears
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The US Coast Guard has suspended an operation to seize the sanctioned oil tanker Bella 1 after a Russian flag appeared on board, according to senior US officials familiar with the matter, cited by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
According to the WSJ on December 30, officials said the pursuit of Bella 1—an aging oil tanker that had evaded US Coast Guard oversight for nearly two weeks—became more complicated after a crudely painted Russian flag appeared on the vessel’s hull. US authorities believe the move was likely intended to claim protection from Moscow.
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Coast Guard vessels had been tracking the very large crude carrier as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean, maintaining a distance of roughly half a mile. According to officials, the Coast Guard has the capability to seize the tanker if the White House authorizes the operation, which began more than 10 days ago near Venezuelan waters.
At the same time, officials said there is internal debate within the US Coast Guard and Navy over whether seizing the tanker is warranted, given that it is old and reportedly empty. They noted that US forces have sufficient personnel and equipment to carry out a forced boarding if ordered. Units in the area include the Maritime Special Response Team, an elite force trained to board hostile vessels, as the outlet reported.
Maritime law experts point out that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Coast Guard is permitted to board foreign vessels if they are stateless or if there are reasonable grounds to suspect fraudulent activity. When the US first began tracking Bella 1, the White House said the tanker was under sanctions, had been seized by court order, and was sailing under a false flag.
If the vessel is now legally registered in Russia, that could significantly complicate any attempt to board it by force, experts say. US authorities are therefore believed to be working through diplomatic channels to clarify the tanker’s legal status.
“The US is likely working through diplomatic channels to determine if it’s actually registered in Russia,” said retired Rear Adm. Fred Kenney, former director of legal affairs and external relations at the International Maritime Organization.
“Merely painting a flag on the side of a hull does not immediately grant that ship that nationality,” he added.
Earlier, Spanish authorities determined that the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, which went down off the coast of Cartagena in December 2024, was transporting unreported nuclear reactor components believed to be destined for North Korea.
The vessel was linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet and followed an atypical route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok via the Mediterranean Sea. Although the ship’s official cargo declaration listed only empty containers and port machinery, aerial surveillance images showed two large containers at the rear of the vessel that were not listed in the manifest.
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