Russia submits diplomatic request to the U.S. to cease the pursuit of an oil tanker

Russia submitted a diplomatic request to the United States to cease the pursuit of a sanctioned oil tanker that was heading to Venezuela, reported this Thursday the newspaper The New York Times, citing sources close to the case.

According to the report, Moscow sent formal notes to the State Department and the White House National Security Council on Wednesday, demanding an end to the operation against the ship Bella 1, which is currently sailing in the waters of the Atlantic.

The incident occurred on December 21, when the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to board the tanker in the Caribbean, citing a seizure order.

The ship, which was heading to load crude oil at Venezuelan ports, was reportedly identified by Washington as part of the sanctioned oil transportation network of Nicolás Maduro's government.

The attempted seizure occurred just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his administration would confiscate all vessels transporting oil from Venezuela, which he accused of “stealing U.S. oil assets” in the Caribbean nation.

In December, the United States had already seized two oil tankers in the Caribbean —the Skipper and the Centuries— as part of this pressure campaign.

However, the crew of the Bella 1 refused to comply with the orders and maneuvered to escape, causing a maritime pursuit that is still ongoing and being monitored.

According to the New York Times, during the escape, the crew painted a Russian flag on the hull of the ship and later communicated by radio with the naval authorities identifying themselves as a vessel “of Russian nationality.”

The diplomatic intervention by Moscow could complicate Washington's plans to seize the oil tanker, which is part of the Trump administration's strategy to increase economic and political pressure on the Venezuelan regime.

Since mid-2025, the United States has maintained a military deployment in the Caribbean with the justification of combating drug trafficking originating from Colombia and Venezuela.

However, Caracas and its allies are denouncing that the operation seeks to force the fall of Nicolás Maduro's government.

Diplomatic sources cited by the American newspaper indicate that the Russian request “has broader geopolitical implications,” as it could impact the mediation efforts led by President Trump in the peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.

Neither the State Department nor the Kremlin have issued official statements regarding the case, although international observers warn that the incident could escalate tensions between the two powers at a time of heightened diplomatic fragility.