US Coast Guard Seizes Russian-Flagged Tanker Bella I After Weeks of Pursuit
On January 7, the US Coast Guard conducted a pre-dawn boarding operation, seizing the Motor Tanker Bella I in the North Atlantic after weeks of pursuit. First authorized for operation within its Shadow Fleet by US authorities in 2024, she had managed to avoid capture since December 21 by switching its flag and painting a different name onto its hull while being pursued near Venezuelan waters - using multiple deceptive means according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem before being tracked and seized pursuant to a federal court warrant by US Coast Guard cutter Munro.
The Bella I incident is an impressive display of US enforcement operations against sanctioned vessels. The ship, originally registered in Guyana under Turkish ownership but later painted with Russian colors to reduce risks from US intervention, had Russian nationals aboard its crew who faced criminal prosecution; Russia reported two of them being released just days after initial seizure by law enforcement agents.
US Seizes Viola in Caribbean Operation Linking Russian and Iranian Entities
On January 15, US forces carried out another predawn boarding operation in the Caribbean, seizing Motor Tanker Veronica without incident. Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear operating off USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier for Homeland Security apprehended 2003-built crude oil tanker previously known as Pegas and operating with multiple names listed on Ukraine's War and Sanctions portal as vessel involved with transporting Iranian oil and linked with sanctions-suspected Russian entities.
In April 2022, this vessel was detained by Greek Coast Guard due to Iranian oil activity near Karystos Bay in Greece. Russian shipping company MG-Flot was identified as both owner and commercial manager; thus this seizure continued Operation Southern Spear's efforts of disrupting illicit activity in Western Hemisphere regions and cutting off their revenue sources.
Shadow Fleet Operators Increase Russian Flag Registrations in an Attempt to Sidestep US Sanctions
Data from Lloyd's List Intelligence quoted by the Wall Street Journal indicates that since January, at least 15 tankers involved in transporting sanctioned oil have registered under Russian flag in just two weeks, showing an unprecedented acceleration of flag-switching activity. Analysts at S&P Global Market Intelligence also report an additional 25 tankers switching registry during 2025's final three months; 18 vessels registered re-registered within December alone under UK or US sanctions alone.
Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd's List, observes that shadow fleet operators see use of Russian flag as a way to reduce risks from US intervention, particularly given Washington's stricter measures against Venezuelan oil exports. But as S&P Global emphasizes, changing a vessel's flag mid voyage raises serious legal considerations under international maritime law - something Meade warned could cause tensions between Washington and Moscow.
An Enforcement Campaign Yielding Multiple Seizures
On January 10-11, the US had already captured five shadow fleet oil tankers operating under various flags as part of its expanded enforcement operations. This represents an important escalation in US efforts to dismantle shadow fleet infrastructure which allows Venezuelan oil exports to bypass sanctions imposed on them, coordinated among multiple US military and law enforcement agencies such as Coast Guard, Navy and Department of Homeland Security.
President Donald Trump has expressed his intention of implementing a blockade against Venezuela and cutting off oil revenue sources, and plans are underway to sell seized oil at market price with proceeds divided equally between America and Venezuela. Furthermore, Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been assigned the responsibility of transporting it directly to US unloading docks.