Oil Tanker Bella 1 refused to let herself be boarded: Hot Tanker Chase in the Caribbean

Anyone who followed the legal arguments between a certain Sal and a certain Will Schryver that AHH posted up for us (it was good to take cognisance of) will be really interested in Oil Tanker Bella 1.  And this is in addition to the fact that BELLA 1 would not stop and refused to be boarded.  Last we heard the Coast Guard is chasing the tanker.  Oh My!  Hot tanker chase in the Caribbean!  US chasing tankers that refuse to hove to!  Tanker Captains knowing their rights and saying FU!  What a wonderful world!    

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. – Christiaan Triebert

The U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday tried to intercept an oil tanker linked to Venezuela that is now fleeing in the Caribbean Sea, according to three U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation, days after President Trump said he would crack down on sanctioned vessels involved in the country’s oil trade.

The tanker, called the Bella 1, was en route to pick up oil in Venezuela and was not carrying cargo, according to one of the officials and ship-tracking data. The tanker has been under U.S. sanctions since last year for transporting Iranian oil, which federal authorities say is sold to finance terrorism.

When U.S. forces approached the Bella 1 late on Saturday, it was not flying a valid national flag, the officials said, making it a stateless vessel liable to be boarded at sea under international law.  (Understand that this is baseless – this is what is quoted to make it look legal.  The quote of international law is stupid, as the US is NOT a signatory of UNCLOS – but man, they quote it as if they are!  They’re lying on both sides.  I can go to sea flying the Jolly Roger and it gives the US no legal cover to board me.  In fact, I could shoot them as pirates!  Yeah! to the Captains!).

American authorities had obtained a seizure warrant from a federal magistrate judge, which would allow them to take possession of the ship, two of the officials said. The warrant had been sought because of the Bella 1’s previous involvement in the Iranian oil trade, not because of its links to Venezuela.  Again, this is US sanctions which are illegal from start go.

But the ship did not submit to being boarded and continued sailing, one of the officials said. A second official referred to the situation as “an active pursuit.” The Coast Guard had successfully boarded another tanker earlier on Saturday, and the United States had taken possession of a third tanker on Dec. 10 that is now at port in Texas.

Run Bella 1!  Or shoot the pirates.  Yeah I know – that is not so easy.

And then we have a little from another tanker.  This carrier boarding and stealing oil and ship is no longer a slam dunk.  The US is not easily able to board these tankers.   Gnarly Ship’s Captains know their rights and will not give up their vessels, dammit!

“Because the Centuries is not under U.S. sanctions, a U.S. official told The Washington Post, the Coast Guard relied on a maritime law called “right of visit,” which allows a warship to board and inspect a vessel it suspects is engaging in illicit activity. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that were not yet public.

The U.S. got permission from the government of Panama to board the vessel, the official said.”  What makes Panama legally justified?  They don’t own the Caribbean seas?

We are going to see oil tankers sailing in convoy with plenty of soldiers on board.

“Fifteen Men on the Dead Man’s Chest” “Yo, Ho, Ho And a Bottle of Rum”

‼️ The "Legal" Basis for US Seizures of Foreign Merchant Vessels for Violating U.S. Sanctions

The legal opinion linked below was published in 2021 in the journal Lawfare.

It pretends to articulate the legal justification for US seizures of merchant vessels for the "crime" of…

— Will Schryver (@imetatronink) December 19, 2025

About the Centuries:

BREAKING NEWS: The US seized a ship belonging to a China-based oil company, it was reported today.

The Chinese ship, called Centuries, was snatched in an operation using military helicopters which illegally landed US Coast Guard officers on board.

In a classic “piracy on the… pic.twitter.com/qaBes0HwZ6

— Nury Vittachi (@NuryVittachi) December 21, 2025