> FIASCO: The US has been trying to stop a Venezuelan oil tanker for TWO WEEKS now without success

Let them laugh at us as long as they fear us.
\

Maybe Trumb needs to recruit some scrawny half naked Somali pirates with a leaky wooden panga and some AK-47s

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!  Trump is shooting "fishing" speedboats with four outboard motors and zero fishing gear!!!!!!!!!!!!
/



Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!  Trump isn't blowing up an oil tanker!!!!!!!
/

The Bella 1 is an aging, empty tanker, and U.S. forces are tracking it from a short distance in the Atlantic Ocean.
A Maritime Special Response Team has been readied, but officials have not yet received the order to forcibly board the ship.

wrote:

Are you stupid?

Two weeks ago, Trump announced to the entire world that the US was blockading Venezuela. So Venezuela sent this ship through the supposed "blockade", and dared Trump to make a move. Trump did nothing, and the ship sailed right through the blockade. It's a MASSIVE LOSS OF FACE AND PRESTIGE FOR THE US.

It's a colossal blunder and it irreparably damages the stature of the US on the world stage.

AI Overview

The Bella 1, an aging, sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela's oil trade and part of a "ghost fleet," is being tracked by U.S. forces in the Atlantic after fleeing an attempted Coast Guard intercept near Venezuela, with a specialized Maritime Special Response Team readied for a potential forcible boarding to seize it under U.S. sanctions, though the White House is deliberating the move, especially after the crew painted a Russian flag on its hull in a bid for protection.

Key Details of the Situation:
Vessel: Bella 1, an old tanker operating in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Location: Atlantic Ocean, pursued by U.S. Coast Guard and Navy assets.

Origin: The pursuit began near Venezuela, aiming to choke off its oil revenue.

Crew Actions: The ship fled interception attempts and, later, its crew painted a Russian flag on the side, likely to claim Russian protection.

U.S. Goal: To seize the tanker under a judicial warrant due to its involvement in sanctioned Iranian/Venezuelan oil trade.

The Delay: Officials haven't authorized a forced boarding yet, debating the risks and necessity, though resources are in place.
Why the Delay & Debate?

Risk of Hostility: Boarding a non-compliant vessel at sea is dangerous, requiring specialized teams (Maritime Special Response Team).

Ship is Empty: The tanker is currently empty, reducing immediate urgency for seizure.
Strategic Decision: A forced boarding would signal a significant escalation in U.S. pressure on Venezuela and test the legitimacy of sanctions at sea.

Current Status:
U.S. forces maintain close surveillance (about half a mile behind).
A decision on a forcible boarding is pending White House approval.

This is what China thinks about Trump's failure to enforce the Venezuela blockade: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/21 … ion-threat

China's President Xi Jinping has issued a chilling invasion threat to Taiwan in a bombshell New Year's address to his country as fears over a possible World War 3 skyrocket.

He said in a speech televised by state broadcaster CCTV: "Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are bound by blood ties thicker than water, and the historical trend toward national reunification is unstoppable."

Taiwan is keeping its emergency maritime response centre running as it monitored Chinese naval manoeuvres, the coast guard said. The drills, dubbed Justice Mission 2025, involved China launching dozens of rockets towards Taiwan and deploying large numbers of warships and aircraft around the island, in a display of military strength that alarmed Western allies.