As of midday Dec. 24, the U.S. Coast Guard is still chasing the Bella 1 tanker and, according to a Reuters report posted last night, is awaiting additional resources before making another attempt to board it. The ship, Reuters notes, has refused to be boarded by the Coast Guard. That means that the task will likely fall to one of just two teams of specialists—known as Maritime Security Response Teams—who can board vessels under these circumstances, including by rappelling from helicopters.
The days-long pursuit highlights the mismatch between the U.S. Trump administration’s desire to seize sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela and the limited resources of the agency that is mainly carrying out operations, the Coast Guard, Reuters’ report continues. Unlike the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard can carry out law enforcement actions, including boarding and seizing vessels that are under U.S. sanctions.
