Six Georgian citizens were among the crew of Russian-flagged oil tanker that was seized by US forces in the Atlantic Ocean on January 7, Georgia’s Maritime Transport Agency reported on Thursday.
One of the Georgians was the captain of the vessel whose crew also includes 20 Ukrainian and two Russian citizens. The agency stated that it is in the process of confirming the circumstances surrounding the incident, including determining the vessel’s operating company and collecting detailed information about the Georgian crew members.
The tanker ‘Marinera’, previously know as ‘Bella 1’, was intercepted and seized by US troops as it had been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department for its alleged involvement in transporting Iranian, Venezuelan and Russian oil.
The vessel was sailing under the Guyanese flag, entered the Caribbean Sea on 20 December. The US Coast Guard ordered the vessel to halt for inspection, but the crew reportedly disregarded the instruction and proceeded toward the Atlantic Ocean, leading to a pursuit by several US vessels.
The capture of the vessel is part of US efforts to crack down on so-called shadow fleet vessels accused of violating international sanctions against Russian oil.
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