Crew paints Russian flag on tanker pursued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The crew of an oil tanker fleeing US forces in the Atlantic Ocean recently painted a Russian flag on the vessel’s side, presumably in an attempt to claim Russian protection, two US sources said Tuesday.

It’s the latest twist in a bizarre odyssey that began on December 21 when the U.S.

Coast Guard attempted to intercept the ship, Bella 1, in the Caribbean Sea as it sailed towards Venezuela to pick up oil, putting it in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s quasi-blockade of Venezuela’s economic lifeline.

The crew members of the Bella 1 painted a Russian flag on the tanker during the escape and are now claiming Russian status, according to US officials who were briefed on the situation and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation.

The tanker has been sanctioned by the United States since last year for transporting Iranian oil, which federal authorities claim is used to fund terrorists.

The ship also appears to have lately changed direction northwest, away from the Mediterranean Sea, maybe heading for Greenland or Iceland, according to officials.

It is not thought to be transporting cargo. The Bella 1’s location transponder has been turned off since December 17, preventing The New York Times from tracking the vessel as it runs from US forces.

The White House refuses to comment on the record. The Pentagon and Homeland Security Department declined to comment. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not reply to calls for comment.

According to US officials, the Coast Guard attempted to intercept Bella 1 in the Caribbean after concluding that it was not flying a proper national flag and so subject to boarding under international law.

However, the ship did not cooperate and continued going. Since then, US forces have been pursuing it.

US officials have not publicly explained why the Coast Guard is waiting to board the tanker, which is incapable of outrunning US vessels.However, boarding the fleeing Bella 1 would necessitate a specialised boarding squad capable of securing a moving vessel with a potentially hostile crew.

It’s unusual for civilian tankers to flee such activities. The crews of two other tankers captured by US Marines near Venezuela this month also accepted to be boarded.

The officials stated that they secured a seizure warrant based on the vessel’s previous involvement in the Iranian oil trade.

The Bella 1 is part of a so-called ghost fleet of tankers that transport oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela in contravention of US and other international restrictions. One of the officers stated that the majority of the Bella 1 crew is from Russia, India, and Ukraine.

The Coast Guard successfully boarded another ship in the Caribbean earlier this month, and the US took control of a third vessel on December 10.It is currently at a port in Texas.

Federal officials said they intend to seize further tankers participating in Venezuela’s oil trade, which provides the regime with much-needed revenue.

On Tuesday, the Treasury Department imposed penalties on ten Venezuelan and Iranian persons and businesses involved in the production and sale of drones.

Among those targeted is Empresa Aeronáutica Nacional and its chairman, Jose Jesus Urdaneta Gonzalez, who, according to the Treasury Department, has collaborated with Venezuelan and Iranian armed forces to construct drones in Venezuela.

“Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world,” John K. Hurley, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

“We will continue to take swift action to deprive those who enable Iran’s military-industrial complex access to the U.S. financial system.”

The moves came just days after the CIA carried out a drone strike on a Venezuelan port facility as part of a mounting pressure campaign against the Maduro government.

The hit is the first known American action within Venezuela, as previous U.S. military operations on boats suspected of carrying drugs have occurred in international waters.