NEW: The BELLA 1 oil tanker has REFUSED to be boarded by the U.S....
Christiaan Triebert@trbrtc
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Jan 07, 2026
~2 min read
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NEW: The BELLA 1 oil tanker has REFUSED to be boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard, who is now in “active pursuit” of the vessel. w/ @NickNehamas @tylerpager @AKurmanaev @EricSchmittNYT nytimes.com/2025/12/21/us/…
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U.S. officials say the BELLA 1 (IMO: 9230880) was not flying any flag when approached. While some shipping sites suggest a Guyanese flag, IMO databases list it as “unknown.” U.S. says they have warrant to seize the vessel, similar to SKIPPER situation.
TankerTrackers.com, Inc.@TankerTrackers
Between October 2021 and September 2025, the US OFAC-sanctioned BELLA 1 (9230880) had directly exported 7.3 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, as well as 3.7 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil; both to China.
She has also received (via STS transfer) 7.4 million barrels of Iranian crude and 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan oil prior to delivery to China.
At the time of her arrest today, she was empty of cargo while approaching Venezuela with much hesitation/caution following the arrest of SKIPPER (9304667). We haven't seen her in Venezuela since 2023.
#OOTT #Tankers #OFAC #Iran #Venezuela
She has also received (via STS transfer) 7.4 million barrels of Iranian crude and 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan oil prior to delivery to China.
At the time of her arrest today, she was empty of cargo while approaching Venezuela with much hesitation/caution following the arrest of SKIPPER (9304667). We haven't seen her in Venezuela since 2023.
#OOTT #Tankers #OFAC #Iran #Venezuela
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Satellite images show BELLA 1 spoofed its location to hide an August pickup of Iranian oil. It was now on its way to Venezuela to load about 1m barrels of crude for a company linked to Ramón Carretero, a businessman sanctioned for his financial dealings with the Maduro family.
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UPDATE: The BELLA 1 has been broadcasting distress signals four hours on end, and shows the vessel is traveling northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, +300 miles from Antigua and Barbuda. By Sunday evening, Bella 1 had sent over 75 alerts. h/t @riley_mellen x.com/riskiomap/stat…
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@riley_mellen And:
mace@quietd0cket
BELLA 1 had been transmitting repeated distress alerts to all ships on December 21 starting at 3:27:11 AM PST. The most recent alert was at 9:13:47 AM PST with a position of 19.02N, 57.23W. Positions are in the 18°-19°N / 58°-57°W range and trend N while the W longitude decreases, indicating a general NE/ENE movement in the W Atlantic NE of Venezuela.
Using data from the first position in the series (18.25N, 58.15W at 11:39:15 UTC), to the last position (19.02N, 57.23W at 17:13:47 UTC), the net displacement is approximately 62 nautical miles over roughly 5.58 hours for an average speed of about 11 knots.
Using data from the first position in the series (18.25N, 58.15W at 11:39:15 UTC), to the last position (19.02N, 57.23W at 17:13:47 UTC), the net displacement is approximately 62 nautical miles over roughly 5.58 hours for an average speed of about 11 knots.
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@riley_mellen The U.S. Coast Guard is waiting for additional forces to arrive before potentially attempting to board and seize BELLA 1, Reuters reports. The tasks will likely fall to one of just two Maritime Security Response Teams. reuters.com/world/americas…
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Last known visual we have of BELLA 1 (9230880) is from five days ago, when it was spotted in satellite imagery. Here's older footage from the bridge.
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Another archival video, showing crew getting on board of BELLA 1 in the Indian Ocean, during a previous voyage.
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NEW: The crew of BELLA 1 that is fleeing U.S. forces in the Atlantic Ocean has recently painted a Russian flag on the side of the vessel, in an apparent attempt to claim Russian protection. Read more: nytimes.com/2025/12/30/us/…
Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️@mercoglianos
@trbrtc @NickNehamas @tylerpager @AKurmanaev @EricSchmittNYT The ship cant change registry mid-voyage.
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Footage appears legit, that is the side of MARINERA indeed, as @TankerTrackers pointed out. Hard to say when this was filmed, though. x.com/RT_com/status/…
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@TankerTrackers Russia has sent a submarine and other naval assets to escort the MARINERA (previously BELLA 1), @shelbyholliday, @CostasParis and @georgikantchev report. wsj.com/world/russia/r…
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@TankerTrackers @shelbyholliday @CostasParis @georgikantchev This makes a total of five oil tankers sanctioned by the U.S. and recently in/near/associated with Venezuela that were officially “adopted” by Russia. Also, @NickNehamas corroborating WSJ reporting that Russia sent at naval asset to escort MARINERA.
Christiaan Triebert@trbrtc
We just found out that, in addition to MARINERA and HYPERION, three other tankers recently in Venezuelan waters — and previously hit by U.S. sanctions for shipping Iranian/Russian oil —are now officially flying the Russian flag. More: nytimes.com/live/2026/01/0…
