Tanker Evading Venezuela Blockade Paints Russian Flag as U.S. Pursuit Continues

The runaway tanker Bella 1 is claiming Russian protection by painting a Russian flag on its hull, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

The U.S.-sanctioned, falsely flagged very large crude carrier (VLCC) is being pursued by the U.S. Coast Guard after refusing to be boarded while fleeing the Caribbean last week.

The tanker is believed to be somewhere in the North Atlantic, sailing beyond Iceland. Its last AIS signal was recorded on December 17 in the Caribbean while in ballast, after diverting from its original voyage from Iran to Venezuela.

U.S. Crackdown Disrupts Venezuelan Oil Flows

The U.S. has already seized two tankers in international waters — Skipper and Centuries — and has effectively paralyzed oil exports since announcing a December 16 ban on sanctioned tankers entering or leaving Venezuela.

Windward has tracked significant disruption to Venezuelan oil exports since the announcement:

• At least 16 tankers that arrived to load crude or discharge naphtha are now sequestered in Venezuelan ports, with additional vessels being used as floating storage because they cannot exit territorial waters.
• An estimated dozen tankers are manipulating their AIS signals, a deceptive shipping practice known as spoofing, to conceal their presence at Venezuelan ports.
• At least one falsely flagged, sanctioned VLCC, Quinn (IMO 9220952), bound for Venezuela, began drifting on December 16 in international waters roughly 300 nautical miles east of Brazil.
• The Russia-trading, Venezuela-bound sanctioned tanker Garnet (IMO 9577094) began drifting in the mid-Atlantic about a week ago, unable to continue its voyage. Its cargo is likely naphtha, used as a diluent.

Flag State Scrutiny Expands Beyond Sanctioned Vessels

Disruption has extended beyond sanctioned tankers, despite the U.S. administration’s stated focus:

• A Hong Kong–flagged VLCC that was not sanctioned diverted mid-voyage in the Atlantic nine days ago, changing its destination from Venezuela to Singapore.
• One China-flagged, non-sanctioned tanker began drifting off French Guiana on December 26 rather than continuing its expected course to Venezuela.
• A second China-flagged tanker sailing in the southern Atlantic toward Venezuela has not yet changed speed or course.

Where tankers are flagged — or not flagged at all — is emerging as a central factor in the U.S. tanker blockade.

The first tanker seized, Skipper, was falsely flagged in Guyana, which does not maintain an international shipping registry. This rendered the vessel stateless and subject to boarding by authorities. The tanker has since arrived in Galveston, where its cargo will be discharged and sold.

The second interception involved Centuries, which was flagged in Panama — the world’s second-largest registry — but spoofed its location when loading cargo in Venezuela. Panama’s foreign minister said the country removes vessels from its registry if they engage in deceptive shipping practices, noting that Centuries failed to follow maritime rules.Whether Bella 1 has formally reflagged from its false Guyana flag to Russia, or has merely painted a Russian flag to deter U.S. interception, remains unclear. Bella 1 was sanctioned by the U.S. in June 2024 for being part of a network that funded the Houthis.