Overview
- Russia filed a formal request on New Year’s Eve asking the U.S. State Department to halt the Coast Guard’s pursuit of the tanker originally bound for Venezuela.
- The vessel known as Bella 1 appeared on Russia’s official ship register under a new name, adding a legal and diplomatic wrinkle to the chase.
- U.S. officials have tracked and pursued the tanker for nearly two weeks after it reversed course on December 21 to avoid an attempted interdiction in the Caribbean.
- Reports place the tanker in the North Atlantic, and it remains unclear whether the U.S. will suspend interdiction efforts in response to Russia’s request.
- The standoff unfolds under President Trump’s declared blockade of sanctioned tankers tied to Venezuela, with recent Trump–Putin calls forming the geopolitical backdrop.