Master of Sanctioned Tanker Pleads Guilty to Refusing Coast Guard Orders
Avtandil Kalandadze, the 47-year-old Georgian former master of the sanctioned crude tanker Bella 1, has pleaded guilty in Washington to refusing lawful US Coast Guard orders during a weeks-long pursuit from the Caribbean Sea to the North Atlantic. According to the US Department of Justice, Kalandadze entered the plea before Judge Beryl A. Howell in the US District Court for the District of Columbia to failing to heave to a Coast Guard cutter.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, absent aggravating circumstances. Kalandadze will be deported after completing any prison term. The plea marks a significant development in the high-profile shadow fleet interdiction case, which has garnered international attention due to its implications for global sanctions evasion.
Bella 1‘s Sanctioned Journey
Kalandadze was master of Motor Tanker Bella 1 from September 2025 until late December 2025. During that period, the tanker transported about 1.8m barrels of Iranian-origin oil to Asia. US authorities said Bella 1 used sanctions-evasion methods including sailing with its Automatic Identification System switched off and concealing its name during a ship-to-ship transfer of Iranian-origin oil to another vessel.
The journey took an unexpected turn in December 2025, when Bella 1 was heading to Venezuela when it was intercepted by USCGC Munro. The tanker failed to comply with an order to heave to and fled across the Atlantic. Munro pursued Bella 1 for 18 days and more than 4,900 miles before assisting in the lawful seizure of the 333-metre crude oil carrier on 7 January.
Pursuit and Seizure
Kalandadze took steps to avoid interdiction, including disobeying multiple orders from authorised federal law-enforcement officers and destroying records and information on board Bella 1. US Coast Guard material said the vessel was without nationality and subject to US jurisdiction.
The pursuit of Bella 1 was a complex operation that required coordination between multiple agencies and vessels. The US Department of Justice praised the efforts of the Coast Guard and other authorities involved in the interdiction, saying it marked a significant success in disrupting sanctions evasion schemes.
Sentencing is scheduled for 7 August 2026.
Original Article: Bella 1 master pleads guilty after US seizure of 333-metre sanctioned tanker — Portnews