The U.S. military seized the oil tanker Bella I in the North Atlantic; the vessel is currently flying the Russian flag and was previously escorted by a Russian submarine—how should we view this incident?

Although the tanker was approximately 4,000 kilometers from the U.S. coastline, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel had tracked it for several days. This is truly 'punishment without fail—even from afar.'

Is this even worse than the Galaxy号 incident? The U.S. has targeted Chinese oil tankers—we must resolutely counterattack!

Li Guangman’s Bingdian Commentary No. 1434 While Trump seeks to stabilize China’s control over U.S. rare-earth supplies, he simultaneously continues provoking China: first, by selling $11.1 billion worth of arms to Taiwan—the largest such deal in history; second, by targeting Chinese oil and cargo vessels. On December 20, the tanker Century, flying the Panamanian flag and operated by a Hong Kong–based Chinese company, departed José Port in Venezuela en route to the Jieyang Refining Base in Guangdong Province, China. While sailing through international waters in the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. Coast Guard—without prior notification to the shipowner or Chinese authorities—deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter; fully armed personnel fast-roped onto the vessel, forcibly seized control of the bridge, communications systems, and all crew members, and redirected the ship toward a U.S. port. This operation occurred without United Nations authorization, without a judicial search warrant, and without consent from the flag state. At the time, the Century carried 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude oil. The buyer was a company with Chinese capital backing, and the Century itself was not on any U.S. sanctions list. On December 21, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem posted on social media: “Early this morning, the Coast Guard successfully interdicted an oil tanker transporting sanctioned Venezuelan petroleum in the Caribbean Sea—a move aimed at disrupting illicit networks that finance terrorism and drug trafficking.” On December 23, President Trump announced: “I have ordered that the seized tanker Century and its 1.8 million barrels of crude oil be permanently retained by the United States. This oil constitutes stolen property, and we will lawfully confiscate it for national benefit.” On December 21, the tanker Bella I—flying the Panamanian flag and sailing empty through international waters 300 nautical miles northeast of Venezuela—was relentlessly pursued by a U.S. Coast Guard flotilla of speedboats and helicopters. U.S. forces ultimately boarded and seized the vessel, then steered it toward a U.S. port. The Bella I had been scheduled to load approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil at José Port in Venezuela before proceeding to Jieyang Port in Guangdong Province, China, for delivery to a Sino-Venezuelan joint venture company. This transaction formed part of the long-standing Sino-Venezuelan ‘oil-for-loans’ framework agreement, with portions of the settlement conducted in renminbi (RMB). Subsequently, the U.S. claimed that although the Bella I flew the Panamanian flag, it lacked valid authorization—and therefore qualified as a ‘stateless vessel.’ U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that “the Bella I has been ordered permanently forfeited by a federal court for participating in an illegal petroleum network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.” Trump also boasted publicly on social media: “We will not let slip any ‘ghost ship’ smuggling oil for Maduro’s regime. These ships—and their oil—are America’s spoils of war!” Earlier, on December 10, more than twenty fully armed U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Special Operations personnel conducted a surprise boarding of the tanker Captain in international waters of the Caribbean Sea. The Captain had departed José Port in Venezuela carrying 1.85 million barrels of crude oil bound for Mariel Port in Cuba. Reports indicated the oil might later be resold to Asian buyers. The vessel was subsequently taken under U.S. military control and directed toward offshore waters near Houston, Texas, where its cargo was transferred via floating storage and offloading units to U.S. refineries. At a press conference, Trump openly admitted—and even proudly proclaimed—“This is the largest tanker we’ve ever seized, and we’re keeping the oil.” A brazenly piratical posture: a major-power president shamelessly declares to the entire world, “I seized it—I just seized it.” And what can you do about it—even if you’re China?

US Coast Guard Boards Oil Tanker in Cyber Attack Investigation

Sep 15, 2026

US Coast Guard and FBI investigated a cyberattack on the VL Prosperity oil tanker near Texas, confirming no operational disruptions despite suspected foreign actor involvement.

bloomberg

2026-09-15

US Coast Guard Boards Oil Tanker in Cyber Attack Investigation

US Coast Guard Boards Oil Tanker in Cyber Attack Investigation

FAQ