In the first week of January 2026, the world watched as one extraordinary moment followed another, notably the US action in Venezuela and the US pursuit and boarding of an (alleged – more on this later) Russian-flagged ship in the North Atlantic. As well as sharing a principal actor, the US, there is another common factor: the apparent flouting of near-universally accepted international laws, enabled by impressive military might. We consider here the second of these incidents: the maritime interdiction of an oil tanker by the US Coast Guard in the North Atlantic, miles from their usual operating area. A little background: since late 2025 the US has taken what it claims to be legitimate action against Venezuela, including the interdiction of boats and ships suspected of carrying drugs, sanctioned oil and other contraband. On 20 December, US authorities tried to board an oil tanker, Bella 1, but the master and crew resisted, and the vessel fled into the Atlantic. At that point the ship was a known sanctions-breaker and part of the so-called shadow fleet. Bella 1 was reportedly owned by a Turkish company and registered in Guyana, but it was most probably flying a false flag. Guyana insists that it is not a flag of convenience and that it does not operate an open registry for shipping.
US Boarding Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker Breaks Precedent: High Stakes on the High Seas (Kevin Rowlands and Caroline Tuckett – RUSI)
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