NYT: Oil tanker hiding from U.S. Coast Guard registered in Russia

An oil tanker fleeing the United States Coast Guard is now listed in a Russian ship database, which could make it more difficult for the US military to access it. This was reported by the newspaper The New York Times.

An oil tanker hiding from US forces in the Atlantic Ocean has been officially renamed and entered into an official Russian database. This could potentially complicate U.S. attempts to board the runaway vessel.

According to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the vessel formerly known as Bella 1 is now registered as Mariner. The database indicates that the tanker is flying the Russian flag and its home port is Sochi.

Under international law, ships flying a country's flag are protected by that country. However, the tanker's attempts to avoid U.S. jurisdiction may prove futile, as U.S. officials said that when they first contacted it more than a week ago, the Coast Guard treated it as flying a false flag.

The tanker evaded the US Coast Guard after it was stopped on its way to transport oil in Venezuela. It may now be trying to ask for help from Russia, a longtime Venezuelan ally. Crew members recently painted on board russian flag.

The Russian government's position on the ship is unclear. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The White House, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also did not respond to inquiries.

U.S. officials said the tanker Bella 1 was flying an invalid flag when it was approached by the Coast Guard in the Caribbean late on December 20. It was subject to inspection in accordance with international law. The tanker refused to be inspected and has been hiding since then.

According to the International Maritime Organization, which regulates international shipping, the Bella 1 was previously registered in Panama, Palau, Liberia and the Marshall Islands.

The US military has a warrant to arrest the ship. The court decision was made due to the history of transportation of Iranian oil, which, according to the US authorities, is sold to finance terrorism.

U.S. officials have suggested that they still intend to seize the vessel. But boarding a moving vessel with a potentially hostile crew can be dangerous, and the Coast Guard is only tracking the vessel for now.

• On December 17, it was reported that the United States introduced a complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela's ports.
• Venezuela has begun to close wells in the region, where the world's largest oil fields are located, due to the US blockade.