U.S. Pursues Another “Dark Fleet” Tanker Near Venezuela

December 22, 2025

U.S. officials say the Coast Guard is actively pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, as Washington steps up enforcement tied to President Trump’s recently announced “blockade” of sanctioned tankers moving in and out of Venezuela. Reuters reports this would be the third Venezuela-linked interdiction effort in less than two weeks if it results in a seizure or boarding, following the earlier seizure of the Skipper (Dec 10) and the interception of the Panama-flagged Centuries (Dec 20). Sources cited by Reuters identified the currently pursued vessel as Bella 1, a VLCC under U.S. Treasury sanctions with alleged links to Iran; Reuters also reported that China condemned the Centuries interception as a violation of international law.

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U.S. tanker enforcement near Venezuela is still active

U.S. officials say the Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, following two earlier December cases tied to the U.S. crackdown on Venezuela-linked oil movements. Reporting describes the latest target as a sanctioned “dark fleet” vessel (identified by sources as Bella 1), after the seizure of Skipper (Dec 10) and the interception of Centuries (Dec 20).

Fast facts
Active pursuit near Venezuela; third case reported in December. Prior sequence: Skipper seized, Centuries intercepted, then the latest pursuit.
Deal friction that shows up first
Screening depth increases, approvals slow down, and voyage instructions can change late. Time risk often arrives before freight reprices.
Geopolitical temperature
The Centuries case drew public criticism from China and condemnation from Venezuela, adding diplomatic uncertainty around future enforcement boundaries.

Bottom line
This is a high-impact enforcement story because it turns sanctions from “paper risk” into voyage risk, raising the probability of delays, diversions, and tighter compliance filters around Venezuela-linked tanker liftings.

Item	Summary	Business mechanics	Bottom-line effect
U.S. Venezuela enforcement update
Current status	U.S. officials told Reuters the Coast Guard is actively pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela; it had not been boarded as of the reporting window.	“Pursuit” can include close-in monitoring by ship or aircraft and positioning for a boarding attempt under a judicial seizure order, depending on the case.	📌 Real-time tracking activity raises execution risk for nearby voyages and can cause last-minute diversions, delays, and fixture uncertainty for counterparties.
Vessel identity (reported)	Reuters cited a maritime risk group and a U.S. maritime security source identifying the pursued vessel as Bella 1, described as a VLCC that is under U.S. Treasury sanctions.	When a hull is flagged as sanctioned or “dark fleet,” it becomes difficult to secure mainstream services and counterparties, and the risk of interdiction increases.	📉 Sanctions-linked identification can tighten charter options and increase the “cost of doing the voyage” through longer screening, higher insurance friction, and slower operations.
False flag and legal posture	U.S. officials said the pursued tanker was flying a false flag and was under a judicial seizure order.	False-flag allegations and seizure orders shift transactions into higher legal scrutiny, raising the likelihood of holds, denials of service, or rapid changes in voyage instructions.	📌 A stronger enforcement posture increases “paperwork time” and dispute risk around representations, warranties, and sanctions clauses.
The “blockade” framing	Reuters reported President Trump announced a “blockade” of oil tankers under sanctions entering and leaving Venezuela, and the interdictions are occurring in that context.	Broad public “blockade” messaging tends to widen risk perception beyond a single named ship, leading to more conservative routing, stricter approvals, and more declines from service providers.	📉 Even a small number of interdictions can chill traffic and slow loadings, creating short-term congestion and commercial uncertainty around Venezuelan liftings.
Recent interception (Centuries)	Reuters reported the U.S. intercepted the Panama-flagged Centuries in international waters; the vessel was believed intercepted east of Barbados and was linked in reporting to a China-bound cargo.	The Centuries case matters commercially because Reuters reported it was not itself sanctioned, increasing perceived risk for voyages that are “close but not identical” to sanctioned activity.	📉 Wider perceived net increases compliance conservatism and may reduce the pool of willing tonnage, tightening optionality for lawful trades connected to Venezuela.
Cargo and trade route signals	Reuters reported Centuries was carrying about 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude bound for China, and that China is Venezuela’s biggest crude buyer.	If China-bound liftings face repeated disruptions, flows can re-route, pause offshore, or shift to more complex intermediated structures, increasing time and costs.	📉 Higher voyage friction can raise effective freight and slow discharge cycles, which can ripple into VLCC/Suezmax utilization patterns in the Atlantic basin.
Earlier seizure (Skipper)	Reuters reported the Skipper was seized on Dec 10 and later reached the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area near Houston, where VLCC cargoes are typically transferred to smaller tankers.	Seizure-to-lightering logistics can tie up assets and create legal, operational, and custody-of-cargo complications across multiple parties.	📉 Physical cargo control events can create knock-on delays and increase contractual disputes over demurrage, delay attribution, and force majeure style claims.
Market and pricing sensitivity	Reuters cited analysts warning that export slowdowns can quickly strain Venezuela’s storage capacity and pressure output, while oil markets watch the scale of barrels at risk.	When export volumes fall and offshore queueing increases, owners and charterers face more uncertainty around load windows, waiting time, and diversion decisions.	📈 Volatility can increase the value of prompt, compliant tonnage. 📉 It can also raise operational time risk, which is often the first cost that shows up on fixtures.
Diplomatic escalation	Reuters reported China criticized the U.S. seizure of ships as a serious violation of international law after the Centuries interception.	Diplomatic pushback can increase uncertainty around enforcement boundaries and raise the probability of further countermeasures, legal filings, or retaliatory port state behavior.	📌 Higher geopolitical temperature tends to widen risk premiums, increase screening depth, and slow deals that touch the affected corridor.
Notes: This summary is based on (1) a Coast Guard pursuit of a third vessel near Venezuela, (2) the Centuries interception, and (3) China’s public response. Some operational details can evolve quickly while an interdiction is in progress.

Enforcement snapshot

Three tanker cases in December and the immediate business friction points

At-sea status board (as reported)

Case

Reported position in the sequence

Key reporting details

Skipper Seized

First case (Dec 10)

Reuters reported a seizure under a warrant; later reporting said it reached the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area near Houston for cargo transfer logistics.

Centuries Intercepted

Second case (Dec 20)

Reuters reported an interception in international waters, east of Barbados; officials described it as part of a broader crackdown tied to a “blockade” framing.

Bella 1 Pursuit

Third case (Dec 21–22 reporting)

Reuters cited U.S. officials describing an active pursuit of a “dark fleet” tanker flying a false flag, under judicial seizure orders, and identified by sources as Bella 1.

Numbers that explain why the market is paying attention

Cargo on Centuries (reported)

~1.8 million barrels

Reuters reported Centuries was carrying Venezuelan Merey crude bound for China.

Skipper loading detail (reported)

~1.8 million barrels

Reuters graphics reporting said Skipper loaded about 1.8 million barrels of Merey heavy crude before seizure events unfolded.

Paused volumes signal (reported)

~6 million barrels

Reuters reported shipments totaling nearly 6 million barrels were suspended after the first seizure, reflecting immediate disruption pressure.

Where costs show up first in shipping and chartering

The earliest commercial impact is often time and uncertainty, not posted freight. In enforcement-heavy situations, the cost build typically appears as slower approvals, longer holds offshore, and a narrower set of counterparties willing to touch the cargo chain.

Pressure Timing and execution risk

More last-minute voyage instruction changes when a vessel is pursued, intercepted, or flagged as false-flag.
Higher likelihood of waiting time at sea while legal posture and documentation are checked.
Longer fixing cycles as counterparties re-screen ownership, management, and trading history.

Clarity Market segmentation becomes sharper

“Clean” tonnage with transparent ownership and compliant trade history tends to move faster.
Charterers may concentrate liftings onto counterparties viewed as lower-friction, shrinking optionality for the rest.
Ports and service providers face a clearer line on which voyages they will support without extended review.

Diplomatic and legal temperature

The enforcement actions have also widened into a diplomatic dispute. Reuters reported China criticized the interception of a China-bound cargo as a serious violation of international law, while Venezuela condemned the action and said it would raise the matter through international bodies.

Note: Some operational details can change quickly while a pursuit is active. The practical shipping signal to watch is not only the number of incidents, but whether enforcement remains frequent enough to alter how quickly cargoes can be cleared, loaded, and moved through normal service channels.

The U.S. pursuit of another tanker near Venezuela extends a sequence of December enforcement actions that includes the seizure of the Skipper and the interception of the Centuries, as Washington frames the effort as a blockade against sanctioned oil movements. Reporting has linked the latest pursuit to a sanctioned “dark fleet” vessel identified as Bella 1 and described by U.S. officials as flying a false flag under judicial seizure orders, while the Centuries case has drawn public criticism from China and condemnation from Venezuela. For maritime stakeholders, the immediate effect is heightened execution uncertainty around Venezuela-linked liftings, with time risk, screening intensity, and service availability becoming the first pressure points before freight and pricing effects fully show up.

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