An oil tanker that fled a U.S. boarding attempt near Venezuela in December is now appearing in a Russian ship registry under a new name, as it continues to evade capture.
The U.S. government official first disclosed U.S. Coast Guard efforts to seize the oil tanker on Dec. 21, as the vessel approached the waters near Venezuela. At the time, a U.S. official said the suspect tanker was flying a false flag and was subject to a judicial seizure order.
When the pursuit began, the oil tanker was listed under the name Bella 1, with ship registration data listing the tanker as a Guyana-flagged vessel….