The oil tanker Bella 1, which is being pursued by the United States, has a hand-drawn Russian flag
According to a report by The New York Times (NYT) on December 30, citing two U.S. officials, the crew of the oil tanker Bella 1, located in the Caribbean Sea, drew a Russian flag on the ship's hull to avoid being pursued by U.S. Coast Guard vessels.
The report stated: "A crew member of an oil tanker attempting to evade U.S. pursuit painted a Russian flag on the ship's hull, apparently seeking protection from Russia."
The report further explained that the incident occurred on Sunday of last week, December 21. According to officials, the crew, who previously refused to raise their country's flag, now claimed to have a so-called "Russian identity." Sources revealed that authorities have successfully obtained an arrest warrant for the ship.
Bloomberg reported on December 21 about the interception of an oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela. At that time, it was noted that the Bella 1 was flying the Panamanian flag and ignoring President Donald Trump's so-called oil blockade order. Later on the same day, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) learned that the ship was owned by the Istanbul-based company Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises S.A. It was reported that the ship had changed course to avoid detection.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852979505922056/
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