High-Seas Standoff: U.S. Coast Guard Lacks Specialized Troops to Seize Venezuela-Linked Tanker

The U.S. Coast Guard is currently struggling to seize the "Bella 1", a tanker linked to Venezuela, due to a shortage of specialized boarding teams, sources told Reuters. Despite chasing the vessel since Sunday, the mission requires the "Maritime Security Response Teams" (MSRT)—elite units capable of fast-roping from helicopters onto non-compliant ships. Current teams are reportedly overstretched or stationed too far away, including units aboard the USS Gerald Ford involved in prior seizures like the "Centuries."

This operational bottleneck underscores a mismatch between President Donald Trump's aggressive mandate for a "naval blockade" on Venezuelan oil and the actual resources of the Coast Guard. While the administration has publicized high-stakes footage of previous seizures, the standoff with Bella 1 reveals the logistical strain on the agency, which remains the primary legal enforcer for maritime sanctions, unlike the U.S. Navy.