
The crew of an oil tanker heading to Venezuela tried a strange trick to avoid the US Coast Guard. They painted a crude Russian flag on the side of their ship, hoping it would keep American forces away.
The tanker, called Bella 1, has been running from US forces since December 21. The crew claimed the ship was under Russian protection while traveling to pick up oil in Venezuela. The ship has been under US sanctions since 2024 for carrying Iranian oil.