What A Day The 'Dark Fleet' Behind Venezuela's Oil Trade
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Jan 12, 2026 Shelby Holliday, a senior video producer at The Wall Street Journal, dives into the shadowy world of Venezuela's oil trade. She explains the recent U.S. seizures of tankers and the deceptive tactics behind name changes, revealing how Venezuela plays a pivotal role in laundering sanctioned oil. Shelby discusses the benefits for countries like Russia, Iran, and China in this dark fleet and outlines the crucial Cuba-Venezuela alliance. She also highlights U.S. strategies to legitimize Venezuela's oil exports amid security concerns over foreign influence.
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How The Shadow Fleet Operates
- A global 'dark fleet' of aging tankers launders sanctioned oil through deceptive practices.
- The fleet hides oil origins with false flags, ship-to-ship transfers, and location spoofing to serve countries like Venezuela, Russia, and Iran.
A Chase That Became A Geopolitical Signal
- The Bella One's registration to Russia mid-chase and a Russian submarine escort raised geopolitical alarms.
- The U.S. pursued and seized the vessel to signal it won't tolerate shadow-fleet operations near the Western Hemisphere.
The Bella One's Defiant Escape
- The Bella One refused a Coast Guard boarding and tried to flee across the Atlantic.
- The crew's refusal, sudden Russian registration, and an escorting submarine made the U.S. escalate the response.