More egregious than the Galaxy号 incident? The U.S. targets a Chinese oil tanker—we must resolutely counterattack!

At the time, the tanker 'Century' was carrying 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude oil; the buyer was a company with Chinese capital backing, and the tanker 'World' 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 intercepted a vessel transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil in the Caribbean Sea. This action aims to disrupt illicit networks that fund terrorism and drug trafficking.” On December 23, U.S. President Donald Trump announced, “I have ordered that the seized tanker ‘Century’ and its cargo of 1.8 million barrels of crude oil be permanently retained by the United States. This oil is stolen property, and we will legally confiscate it for the national interest.” On December 21, the Panama-flagged tanker ‘Bella 1’, sailing empty through international waters 300 nautical miles northeast of Venezuela, was relentlessly pursued by U.S. Coast Guard fast-boat units and helicopters, ultimately boarded and seized, then steered toward a U.S. port. The ‘Bella 1’ had been scheduled to load approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil at José Port in Venezuela and deliver it to Jieyang Port in Guangdong Province, China, to a Sino-Venezuelan joint venture company. This transaction formed part of the long-term “oil-for-loans” framework agreement between China and Venezuela, with partial settlement conducted in RMB. Subsequently, the U.S. claimed that although the ‘Bella 1’ flew the Panamanian flag, it lacked valid authorization and thus qualified as a “stateless vessel.” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that “the ‘Bella 1’ has been ordered permanently forfeited by a federal court for participating in an illegal oil network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.” Trump also boasted openly on social media: “We will not spare any ‘ghost ship’ smuggling oil for the Maduro regime. These vessels and their oil are America’s spoils of war!” Earlier, on December 10, over 20 fully armed personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and Naval Special Warfare Command conducted a surprise boarding operation against the tanker ‘Captain’ in international waters of the Caribbean Sea. The vessel, carrying 1.85 million barrels of crude oil from José Port in Venezuela en route to Mariel Port in Cuba, was seized. Reports indicated the oil might later be resold to Asian buyers. The tanker was subsequently taken under U.S. military control to waters off 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 seized to date, and we’re keeping the oil aboard.” A brazenly piratical posture: a major-power president shamelessly declaring to the world, “I seized it—I just seized it. And what can you, China, do about it?” This epitomizes the jungle-law world order led by the United States. Let us now turn to an incident in the Indian Ocean in November 2024. U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted a surprise boarding and search of a Chinese cargo vessel bound for Iran near Sri Lankan waters in the Indian Ocean, citing the objective of preventing “Iran’s rebuilding of its missile arsenal”; items seized included high-performance chips, precision machine-tool components, and specialized chemical materials deemed “capable of military use,” some of which were destroyed. This incident was widely viewed as a reprise of the 1993 Galaxy incident, triggering strong protests from China and drawing intense international attention. From searching Chinese cargo vessels in the Indian Ocean to seizing and confiscating oil tankers linked to China in the Caribbean Sea, these actions bear unmistakable hallmarks of piracy—though the underlying implications may be far more disgraceful than they appear on the surface.

What specific measures does the United States employ in its embargo against Cuba?

The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard conduct boarding inspections of all vessels preparing to dock in Cuba or depart from Cuban territorial waters.

US Coast Guard Intercepts Ship Carrying Fuel to Cuba

Oct 2, 2026

The US Coast Guard intercepted the cargo vessel 'Grace' in the Caribbean, confirming it carried fuel bound for Cuba amidst ongoing US oil embargoes and sanctions.

reuters

2026-10-02

US Coast Guard Intercepts Ship Carrying Fuel to Cuba

US Coast Guard Intercepts Ship Carrying Fuel to Cuba

FAQ