The U.S. Coast Guard is currently awaiting the arrival of specialized teams to potentially board and seize the Bella 1, an oil tanker linked to Venezuela, which has reportedly resisted attempts to be boarded. This operation is complicated by the limited resources of the Coast Guard, which is primarily responsible for enforcing maritime law, unlike the U.S. Navy, which does not have the same law enforcement authority.

The pursuit of the Bella 1 follows a directive from former President Donald Trump, who ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, aiming to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Coast Guard has successfully seized two oil tankers in recent weeks, with the first operation involving helicopters and armed personnel boarding a vessel.

Despite the Coast Guard's recent successes, the agency faces significant operational challenges. The Department of Homeland Security oversees the Coast Guard, which has limited specialized teams trained for such boarding operations. A U.S. official indicated that personnel from the Coast Guard's Maritime Security Response Teams (MSRT) were not in a position to board the Bella 1 at the time of the operation.

Corey Ranslem, a former Coast Guard member, noted the scarcity of trained teams for these types of operations. The Coast Guard has expressed concerns about its readiness, citing a crisis that has developed over decades. Admiral Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard's leader, has highlighted the agency's insufficient resources to manage its expanding mission set, which includes search and rescue and drug interdiction operations. For the fiscal year ending September 2026, the Coast Guard has requested $14.6 billion in funding, in addition to $25 billion from recent legislation aimed at addressing various national needs.

The Coast Guard's operational limitations raise questions about the effectiveness of U.S. maritime enforcement strategies, particularly in the context of ongoing geopolitical tensions and humanitarian implications in Venezuela.