An oil tanker that has been evading the US Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean has been formally renamed and registered under the Russian flag, a move that could complicate ongoing American efforts to seize the vessel. According to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, the ship, previously known as Bella 1, is now registered as Marinera and lists Sochi as its home port.
US officials say the tanker was not flying a valid national flag when it was initially approached by the Coast Guard in the Caribbean Sea in late December, making it a stateless vessel subject to boarding under international law. At the time, the ship was not carrying oil and refused to allow US forces to board. Since then, it has been tracked as it attempted to stay out of US jurisdiction.
The vessel had been en route to pick up crude oil at a Venezuelan port, amid Washington’s efforts to impose a partial blockade on Venezuela’s oil industry to increase pressure on President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela’s economy is heavily dependent on oil exports, primarily to China. The United States has already seized two other tankers linked to Venezuela’s oil trade, and Bella 1 would have been the third.
American authorities also hold a court-issued seizure warrant for the tanker, citing its past involvement in transporting Iranian oil, which US officials allege helps finance terrorism. Experts note that Russia’s rapid approval of the ship’s flag registration may be part of a broader trend of Moscow providing cover for vessels operating in defiance of Western sanctions.
Despite the reflagging, US officials have suggested they may still move to seize the ship, though boarding a moving vessel with a potentially hostile crew carries significant risks.