OAN Staff Blake Wolf
10:58 AM – Sunday, December 21, 2025
The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing a third oil tanker in international waters on Sunday as the Trump administration continues to enforce its blockade of all Venezuelan oil tankers under sanctions, according to reports from several outlets.
According to reports from Reuters, Bloomberg, and Axios, citing anonymous officials, the U.S. Coast Guard pursued an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, representing the third in less than a week.
“The United States Guard is in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” a U.S. official told Reuters. “It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.”
A separate official told Reuters that the vessel had not yet been boarded as of Sunday morning, and that interceptions may range from sailing or flying near the ships in question.
Sunday’s operation follows the seizure of a second oil tanker on Saturday, which was confirmed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
According to an Axios report, the ship pursued on Sunday was the Panamanian-flagged Bella 1, which was not filled with oil during the time it was pursued, as it was on its way back to Venezuela.
The Bella 1 was previously sanctioned in 2024 after allegedly transporting cargo that financially supported Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force, both of whom are labeled terrorist organizations by the U.S. Department of State.
“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you,” Noem wrote on Saturday.
Saturday’s seizure targeted a vessel called Centuries, which was described by White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly as a “falsely flagged vessel operating as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet to traffic stolen oil.”
The Axios report added that a senior U.S. official revealed the United States received permission from the Panama government to board the Centuries and Bella 1 vessels, as Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino is a U.S. ally, aligned in opposition to the Maduro regime in Venezuela.
President Donald Trump announced the “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers earlier this month, prompting the seizure of the Skipper on December 10th, which was the first oil tanker seized.
The latest seizure against the sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers represents the Trump administration’s latest attempt to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government condemned the actions taken by the United States on Saturday, labeling the seizure as “criminal.”
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically denounces and rejects the theft and hijacking of another private vessel transporting Venezuelan oil, as well as the enforced disappearance of its crew, perpetrated by the United States military personnel in international waters,” stated Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in response.
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