US Monitors Russian-Registered Tanker
The vessel, initially called Bella 1 and now re-registered as Marinera under Russian jurisdiction, was first observed near Venezuela’s Caribbean shoreline in late December, a news agency reported.
Blacklisted by Washington in 2024 for alleged participation in unlawful oil shipments tied to Iranian crude and other sanctioned entities, the ship was en route to collect cargo in Venezuela when US Coast Guard personnel attempted to board.
The crew resisted, executing a sudden U-turn and fleeing into the Atlantic.
Recent open-source tracking data from Kpler indicated the tanker was moving northeast in the North Atlantic, about 250 miles off Ireland’s coast, heading toward the North Sea, according to the report.
During the chase, the crew painted a Russian flag on the vessel’s hull and declared protection under Russian authority.
Soon after, Russia officially registered the ship under the name Marinera, designating Sochi as its home port. Moscow then issued a diplomatic request for Washington to cease its pursuit, complicating any potential seizure under international maritime law.
Despite this, multiple outlets have noted that the US remains determined to intercept Marinera and other sanctioned tankers.
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