Sanctioned oil tanker disguised with Russian flag to avoid US
The crew of a sanctioned oil tanker bound for Venezuela attempted a brazen ruse earlier this month, painting a Russian flag on its hull to claim Moscow’s protection as the U.S. Coast Guard pursued the vessel.
The confrontation unfolded Dec. 21 as the Trump administration intensified its blockade of sanctioned vessels, part of an effort to choke off oil linked to Venezuela’s government and pressure dictator Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
The Bella 1, sanctioned by the U.S. last year for carrying Iranian oil, drew attention after refusing to comply with Coast Guard orders to stop for boarding, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Instead, it turned away from Venezuelan waters and accelerated toward the open Atlantic.
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