Third Tanker Seized: U.S. Navy Intercepts "Bella 1" as Trump Intensifies Venezuelan Oil Blockade

Bloomberg reports that the U.S. Navy has seized a third oil tanker, the "Bella 1" (flagged in Panama), near the Venezuelan coast. This move is part of President Donald Trump’s aggressive "total blockade" strategy aimed at crippling the main revenue source for Nicolás Maduro’s administration, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization.

The Seizure Sequence: Skipper, Centuries, and Bella 1 The "Bella 1" joins two other vessels intercepted in less than two weeks: the "Skipper" (Dec 10) and the supertanker "Centuries" (captured Saturday dawn). The seizure of "Centuries" caused a diplomatic stir as it was not previously on the sanctions list and carried a cargo owned by a Chinese company. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly clarified that the cargo consisted of sanctioned PDVSA oil.

Economic Fallout and "Piracy" Accusations Oil analysts warn that Venezuela’s state oil giant, PDVSA, may soon be forced to shut down wells as storage tanks reach full capacity. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez fiercely condemned the operations, labeling them "dangerous acts of maritime piracy" and "kidnapping" of national assets by the U.S. administration.