Crew members aboard the aging, rusted oil tanker that the US has been pursuing at sea for nearly two weeks appear to have painted a crude image of a Russian flag on the ship’s hull, which American officials believe is an attempt at claiming Russian protection, a US official familiar with the matter said.
The new insignia was spotted by Coast Guard personnel, who are trailing the tanker from about a half-mile behind as it sails in the open Atlantic Ocean away from Venezuela, the official said.
It wasn’t clear when the new flag appeared on the side of the Bella 1. The massive tanker has been resisting seizure since December 21, when it made a U-turn in the Caribbean Sea after the Coast Guard attempted to interdict it on its way into Venezuela to pick up oil.
It’s been fleeing ever since.
The flag, which the US official said was sloppily painted on the side of the ship by its crew, was the latest development in the slow-speed pursuit of the vessel, which is under US sanctions for allegedly shipping Iranian oil. The New York Times first reported the new flag.
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