The United States is in active pursuit of the sanctioned crude oil tanker BELLA 1 (IMO 9230880) near coordinates 18N 58W over the past hour on December 21, 2025, after the vessel transmitted repeated HF DSC distress alerts for about two hours, a U.S. official told Reuters correspondent Steve Holland, according to an X post by @idreesali114. The BELLA 1, under U.S. OFAC sanctions, emitted the distress signals prompting relays by nearby vessels and maritime rescue coordination centers, as reported by X accounts @riskiomap and @sipjack1776 citing vessel tracking data during the reporting window from 3:16 PM to 4:16 PM UTC. This pursuit follows the U.S. boarding of a third oil tanker off Venezuela's coast earlier on December 21, as reported by Bloomberg citing sources with knowledge, amid President Donald Trump's intensified oil blockade, with the seized Panamanian-flagged VLCC Centuries—also known as Skipper—arriving off Texas for cargo transfer. A shipping advisory issued earlier today halted shipments to Venezuela due to an uncertain situation, according to notices reported in prior periods.
