President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the world on January 3rd after executing one of the boldest foreign policy operations in modern American history: the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
The stunning move was designed to do more than remove a narco-dictator. It was a warning shot to every rogue regime still operating under the assumption that America had gone soft.
But just as Trump was gaining leverage abroad, Vladimir Putin made a calculated move that could derail Trump’s efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.
And it involved a sanctioned oil tanker, a painted Russian flag, and a dangerous escalation at sea.
Sanctioned Venezuelan Tanker Hides Behind Russian Flag
In late December, the oil tanker Bella 1 was transporting sanctioned Venezuelan crude when the U.S. Coast Guard moved to intercept it in the Caribbean.
Instead of complying, the ship’s crew performed an audacious maneuver. They painted a massive Russian flag on the hull, renamed the vessel Marinera, and claimed protection from Moscow while continuing its voyage across the Atlantic.
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