(NewsNation) — Russia reportedly has asked the White House to end the U.S. Coast Guard’s efforts to seize an oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean after the crew of the vessel painted a Russian flag on the side of the ship.
Last month, the Bella 1 was on its way to Venezuela to get oil when the U.S. military tried to board it in the Caribbean for allegedly flying a false flag. Now, the ship has sought to identify itself as a Russian-affiliated vessel.
A Trump administration official would not confirm whether Russia has asked Washington to back off, a development reported Thursday by The New York Times, citing two unnamed sources.
“This is a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that has transported sanctioned oil. This vessel was deemed stateless after flying a false flag. This vessel has a judicial seizure order, and the crew will be subject to prosecution for any applicable violation of federal law,” the official told NewsNation.
U.S. forces have already seized two rogue oil tankers in the Caribbean as the Trump administration applies military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by squeezing his country’s oil-based economy.
Diplomatic intervention from Russia on behalf of the Bella 1 comes as the U.S. is trying to help broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine.
Coast Guard continues search for boat survivors of Tuesday attack
As part of the White House’s Venezuela strategy, the Pentagon also has destroyed dozens of alleged drug boats and killed more than 100 people in international waters. The most recent strikes took place Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the earlier attack, the military targeted a three-vessel convoy. After one boat was destroyed, occupants of the other two boats jumped overboard before U.S. forces struck the vessels, U.S. Southern Command said.
The Coast Guard says it was notified Tuesday by the Department of War of “mariners in distress in the Pacific Ocean.”
“The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating search and rescue operations with vessels in the area,” a spokesman said.