The U.S. Coast Guard is waiting for additional forces before potentially boarding a Venezuela-linked oil tanker, the Bella 1, that has evaded seizure since Sunday, according to a U.S. official and a source familiar with the matter.
The tanker has refused to allow boarding, leaving the task to one of only two specialized Maritime Security Response Teams trained for such high-risk operations, which include rappelling from helicopters.
Why It Matters
The pursuit highlights the mismatch between the Trump administration’s blockade of Venezuela-linked tankers and the limited resources of the Coast Guard, which, unlike the U.S. Navy, is responsible for law enforcement actions including boarding and seizure of sanctioned vessels. The operation forms part of broader U.S. pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
What To Know
Earlier this month, the Coast Guard successfully seized two tankers near Venezuela. After the first seizure on Dec. 10, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted video showing helicopters approaching a vessel and armed personnel rappelling onto it. The second seizure, the Centuries tanker, involved officers aboard the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier.
Corey Ranslem, chief executive of Dryad Global and a former Coast Guard officer, said: “There are limited teams who are trained for these types of boardings.”
The White House confirmed that the United States remains in “active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.”
Limited Resources
The U.S. Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has far fewer resources than the larger military forces deployed in the Caribbean, which include an aircraft carrier, fighter jets, Ospreys, and MC-130J Commando II aircraft recently arrived in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The service has repeatedly flagged its inability to meet expanding mission requirements, from search and rescue to drug seizures.
In November, the Coast Guard reported seizing approximately 49,000 pounds of drugs worth over $362 million in the eastern Pacific. Admiral Kevin Lunday told lawmakers in June that “the Coast Guard is in a severe readiness crisis that is decades in the making.”
For fiscal year 2026, the service requested $14.6 billion in funding, which will be supplemented by an additional $25 billion from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Lunday warned: “Our Coast Guard is less ready than in any other time in the past 80 years since the end of World War Two. The downward readiness spiral we are on is not sustainable.”
What Happens Next
The Coast Guard may delay the boarding of the Bella 1 until additional Maritime Security Response Teams arrive. Alternatively, the administration could decide not to board the vessel. Meanwhile, the broader military buildup in the Caribbean continues, signaling sustained U.S. pressure on Venezuela’s oil exports.
