Russia asks the US to stop pursuing oil tanker traveling to Venezuela, says newspaper

A US military plane is photographed in Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean, on December 31, 2025 REUTERS/Eva Marie Uzcategui Russia asked the United States to stop the pursuit of an oil tanker heading to Venezuela. The vessel escapes from the North American Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean. The information was published this Thursday (1st) by The New York Times, based on two sources with knowledge of the matter. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp US forces have been pursuing the ship, identified by maritime entities as Bella 1, for almost two weeks. According to Reuters, the vessel is the target of sanctions and had already been the target of an attempted seizure on Sunday. This is the third ship that the United States has attempted to intercept. Russia’s diplomatic request was made on Wednesday (31). The White House, the US State Department and the Russian government did not comment on the case until the last update. According to the New York Times, the Bella 1 departed Iran bound for Venezuela to load oil and was intercepted by US forces in the Caribbean Sea. First US land attack against Venezuela was carried out by the CIA, says American press The newspaper states that the US claims that the ship operated without a valid national flag. In this case, the vessel would not be subject to the legislation of any country, which would allow an approach based on international law. After the interception, the Bella 1 crew refused to comply with the orders of the American forces, changed its route and began an escape towards the Atlantic Ocean. In the following days, according to the New York Times, the ship tried to obtain protection from Russia by painting a flag on the hull and radioing the U.S. Coast Guard that it was sailing under Russian authority. The newspaper also reports that the Bella 1 recently entered the official Russian ship register, with a new name, Marinera. The indicated port of origin is Sochi, a Russian city on the Black Sea. Also on Wednesday, the US imposed sanctions on four companies operating in Venezuela’s oil sector, as well as associated tankers. The measure is part of the Donald Trump government’s increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Last week, Reuters reported that the White House ordered the US Armed Forces to focus almost exclusively on enforcing a type of blockade on Venezuelan oil for the next two months. According to a North American official interviewed by the agency, the objective is to prioritize economic pressure, rather than military pressure, to force concessions from the Caracas government. According to this source, Trump has been pressuring Maduro, in private conversations, to leave the country. The North American president publicly stated that it would be “smart” for the Venezuelan to abandon power. The US government’s assessment is that, by the end of January, Venezuela could face an economic collapse if it does not give in to Trump’s demands. In December, the US Coast Guard intercepted two oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea, both loaded with Venezuelan oil. US authorities are awaiting reinforcements to try to seize the Bella 1. The increased pressure comes amid a large US military presence in the Caribbean, with more than 15,000 soldiers, including an aircraft carrier, another 11 warships and F-35 fighters. The US claims that military means are used to enforce economic sanctions. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

Source link