WSJ: US halts raid on shadow fleet tanker after Russian flag appears

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/12/31/8014100/

43 comments

  1. so, if you’re on a boats carrying questionable goods you now know what you have to do.

  3. Easy fix, if you’re a smuggler. Run up the Trump flag and you get away.

  4. WTF, How much more proof do we need for russian assets?

  6. This needs to be on every single possible media platform.

  7. Remember when Maga lost its mind when Trump was accused of collusion with Russia?…

  8. Jesus Christ, what do we need a picture of Trump actually fellating Putin before MAGA starts to see their emperor is in bed with the bad guys?

  9. Now the suspected narco boats will start sailing under Russian flags.

  10. You can’t make this shit up. I feel sorry for *The Onion* these days.

  11. Did ya hear that Venezuela Fishermen, run up the Russian flag for safety.

  12. Oh whoops, these are just Russian shady deals. We thought it was a drug boat from Venezuela.

    Our bad.

  13. “Russian Flag appears”? They painted it on the side of the hull at the last second. I’ve lost all faith in humanity.

  14. We will bully every nation except Russia. Wonder why that is. Nevermind sanctions right?

  16. The coast guard tailed it for 10 days as “Special forces were fully prepared to board the vessel by force but were awaiting a green light from the White House. The situation became more complicated after a crudely painted Russian flag appeared on the hull of the Bella 1.”

    But we can shoot “drug boats” for no reason.

  17. Fisher boats – your war minister is ready to bring death to their family tree

    The literal enemies of the state: Donald wants you to tell Puty he still loves him

  18. Man all these random drug boats are gonna start being Russian.

  20. So the strongest naval defense in 2025 is… a badly painted Russian flag?
    Wild times.

  23. I’m confused. Are Russian tankers not sanctioned? Why pretend not to be Russian?

  24. From the article:

    “The US Coast Guard has suspended an operation to seize the sanctioned oil tanker Bella 1 after an image of the Russian flag appeared on its hull.

    Source: The Wall Street Journal, citing senior US officials.

    Details: US officials stated that US Coast Guard vessels had been shadowing the large oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean for over 10 days, staying at a distance of about half a mile (around 800 metres).

    Special forces were fully prepared to board the vessel by force but were awaiting a green light from the White House.

    The situation became more complicated after a crudely painted Russian flag appeared on the hull of the Bella 1.

    Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Coast Guard may seize vessels that are stateless or suspected of fraud.

    When the pursuit began, US authorities believed the Bella 1 was sailing under a false flag and therefore subject to a court order for seizure.

    Experts warn that if the vessel has in fact been legally re-registered in Russia, a forcible takeover would amount to a serious diplomatic escalation. Washington is concerned that Russia may have exploited legal loopholes and retroactively registered the tanker without inspections in order to provoke a confrontation. The US is now trying to clarify the tanker’s status through diplomatic channels.

    The Bella 1 is owned by a Turkish company and was placed under US sanctions for transporting Iranian oil on behalf of designated terrorist organisations, including Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

    The tanker is considered part of the so-called shadow fleet used to transport sanctioned oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

    Background:
    Last weekend, the Bella 1 made a sudden 180-degree turn to avoid inspection and departed at full speed away from the coast of Venezuela.

    On 17 December, US President Donald Trump announced a full blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.

    On 10 December, US forces operating in the Caribbean took full control of an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.”
    (End of excerpt.)

    How could they not know Russia is constantly using shadow fleet to transport oil just about all over the world? The rest of the ciivilized world has known this for years. They sail under flag of convenience to avoid scrutiny.

  25. Lol, USA is literally being shadow puppet ran by Russia through the Trump admin. Its insane.

  26. So a Venezuelan fishing boat with unknown occupants can be blown out of the water by military strikes, but a heavily sanctioned, almost unilaterally condemned Russian shadow fleet tanker is given a free pass? FML can this moron get any lower?

  27. … huh, that’s weird, all the Venezuela ships are flying Russian flags.

  28. This is a case when the implementation of the laws of your country may be limited by the foreign master of your boss.

  30. Says everything you need to know about Trump’s America right now. Bought and owned, body and soul by Russia. It’s amazing how fast the US has fallen.

  31. Venezuelan drug runners all ordering Russian flags from Temu

  33. Carrying a Russian flag in the US gives you immunity. Tip for immigrants

  34. The one time Trump could actually be right, legitimately in the right for confronting illegal ships in the oceans, ofc its fckin Russia

  36. Let Ukraine see it, I think they will know what to do.

    Fuck agent orange.

  37. Iligal sailing under a false flag, and then just before boarding, iligal changing flagstate to russia prevents boarding? Try that with your licence plate when a dop pull you over…

  38. US: Abort, abort! Friendly fire not allowed! Friendly fire not allowed!

  39. Well then I guess if you’re up to no good just throw up a Russian flag and Donnie cheese dick will give you the green light. Btw republicans are ALL pedophile enablers.

  40. Hello ICE agent, I see you’re enjoying your special 3 day operation. No I don’t have any identification papers on me, but consider this: I’ll nuke you

  43. This one quick tip will change the way you live your life…

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