Coast Guard Tries to Seize Fleeing Tanker

US authorities were pursuing an oil tanker off Venezuela on Sunday, after the ship did not submit to being boarded by American forces and sailed away in the Caribbean Sea. Officials said the US Coast Guard approached the vessel, which they said was not flying a valid national flag, late Saturday. Under international law, the flag issue made the Bella 1 subject to boarding as a stateless vessel, the New York Times reports. The officials said the US forces had a seizure warrant from a federal magistrate judge.

The Bella 1 had no oil yet; it was on its way to Venezuela to load the cargo. A US official confirmed the ship is sanctioned, per Reuters. US forces had boarded another tanker Saturday under the blockade President Trump announced Tuesday that's increased pressure on Venezuela and President Nicolas Maduro. It applies to all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela. The interception of the Bella 1 would be the third by the US this month. The Trump administration has not imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil, per the Washington Post.