Master of Ghost Fleet Tanker Pleads Guilty in D.C.
Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, the former ship master of a ghost fleet tanker that historically transported Iran- and Venezuela-origin oil for the ultimate benefit of U.S. adversaries, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for refusing to obey orders from the U.S. Coast Guard during a multi-week pursuit from the Caribbean Sea through to the North Atlantic Ocean.
Kalandadze’s actions put American sailors’ and Coast Guardsmen’s lives at risk while attempting to evade U.S. sanctions and move illicit oil. By refusing lawful orders from the U.S. Coast Guard and leading them on a chase across the Atlantic Ocean, he not only obstructed federal law enforcement but forced our service members to carry out a dangerous boarding operation in heavy seas.
Justice Department Announces Strong Stance Against Ghost Fleet Operators
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasized that Kalandadze’s guilty plea should serve as a warning to ghost fleet owners and operators and all those who man or otherwise support these dangerous, decrepit vessels. The Department of Justice and its interagency partners will pursue the ghost fleet and its facilitators from the Caribbean Sea to the North Atlantic, to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Persian Gulf, and anywhere in between. You will not escape.
U.S. Coast Guard and Homeland Security Investigations Collaborate on Ghost Fleet Interdiction
Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) highlighted that Kalandadze led the U.S. Coast Guard on a reckless weeks-long chase across the Atlantic, endangering servicemembers’ lives all to turn a profit on sanctioned oil for the benefit of U.S. adversaries. Despite early attempts to evade detection, Homeland Security Investigations and its task force partners used their expertise in countering illicit finance and dark fleet movements to identify, locate, and seize these sanctioned tankers.
FBI Investigates Ghost Fleet Ties to Terrorism
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division emphasized that Kalandadze used a range of deceptive maritime tactics in an attempt to evade the U.S. Coast Guard and move millions of barrels of illicit oil tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and other sanctioned actors engaged in terrorism. Those who attempt to evade U.S. sanctions by ignoring U.S. Coast Guard orders will be investigated thoroughly. The FBI and its partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable anyone who uses the global maritime system to finance terrorism.
Sentencing Scheduled for August 7
Kalandadze pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to failing to heave to a Coast Guard cutter. Sentencing is set for Aug. 7. Failing to obey an order to heave to carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, absent aggravating circumstances. Kalandadze will be deported at the completion of his prison term.
According to the plea agreement, from September 2025 until late-December 2025, Kalandadze was the Master of the Motor Tanker Bella 1. During his time as Master, the Bella 1 transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia. During this time, Kalandadze employed common obfuscation techniques to hide the activities of the Bella 1, including sailing with an inactivated Automatic Identification System (AIS) and concealing the name of the Bella 1 while engaging in a ship-to-ship transfer of the Iran-origin oil to another vessel.
In December 2025, while under his charge, the Bella 1 was enroute to Venezuela when it was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro. The Bella 1 failed to comply with the Coast Guard’s order to heave to and fled across the Atlantic Ocean, leading to a prolonged pursuit that put American lives at risk.
Original Article: Master of Ghost Fleet Tanker Pleads Guilty in D.C. for Evading U.S. Coast Guard During Weeks-Long Pursuit — Justice