WILLEMMSTAD, WASHINGTON — The United States has been unable for a third consecutive day to board the sanctioned oil tanker Bella I off the coast of Venezuela, raising questions about Washington’s operational capacity to enforce its recently announced blockade against the country.
According to Reuters, the United States Coast Guard currently lacks sufficient specially trained personnel to forcibly take control of the vessel, despite the blockade ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Dutch public broadcaster NOS also reported on the situation.
The Bella I has been on the U.S. sanctions list since June 2024 for transporting oil on behalf of a company linked to Hezbollah. When the tanker sailed empty toward the Venezuelan coast last weekend, its crew refused a U.S. request for inspection. A forced boarding did not take place due to a shortage of trained Coast Guard personnel, a U.S. official told Reuters. Since then, the vessel has turned around and is now heading back toward open sea.
Earlier seizures heighten tensions
The failed interception follows two recent U.S. actions targeting so-called “shadow tankers.” On December 10, the Coast Guard boarded the tanker Skipper, which was sailing under a false Guyanese flag and was itself sanctioned. Last Saturday, U.S. authorities also seized the tanker Centuries. Although that vessel was not sanctioned, it was carrying oil that Washington says falls under U.S. sanctions. The Centuries was sailing under a Panamanian flag.
The U.S. campaign against shadow tankers has sparked international criticism. China condemned the seizure of the Centuries as a violation of international law and spoke out against what it called “unilateral and illegal” sanctions. The oil on board was reportedly destined for the Chinese market.
At the same time, some countries in the region have cooperated with U.S. actions. Shortly before the boarding of the Centuries, Panama removed the vessel from its shipping registry, rendering it stateless and, under maritime law, subject to boarding.
Pressure on Maduro’s oil revenues
The United States told the United Nations Security Council that it will continue efforts to cut off oil revenues for the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro. According to Washington, the strategy is already disrupting Venezuela’s oil trade. One tanker recently turned back out of fear of interception, while Venezuela has reportedly begun using tankers moored offshore as temporary storage because onshore facilities are full.
Reuters reports that U.S. authorities are waiting to make another attempt to board the Bella I until sufficient Coast Guard personnel become available. The U.S. Navy, which does have adequate manpower, is not being deployed because the operation falls under law-enforcement authority rather than military action. The Coast Guard has previously warned the U.S. Congress that it lacks the resources to handle a growing number of missions in the Caribbean region.