Shadow Fleet Tanker Captain Jailed After USCG Chase
Georgian captain sentenced to 10 months for evading US Coast Guard cutter Munro during Bella 1's Atlantic pursuit.
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Guilty Plea Over Atlantic Pursuit
According to a report by Marine Insight, Georgian national Kalandadze, 47, pleaded guilty on June 12, 2026, to failing to stop for a US Coast Guard cutter. He will serve a 10-month prison sentence before being deported to the Republic of Georgia, the US Department of Justice said.
Kalandadze served as master of the tanker Bella 1 from September 2025 until late December 2025. Under his command, the vessel carried around 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia, according to his plea agreement. The tanker was subsequently renamed Marinera.
Interception and Escape
In December 2025, Bella 1 was en route to Venezuela when the US Coast Guard Cutter Munro intercepted it. The tanker refused to stop and fled across the Atlantic, with Munro maintaining pursuit throughout the escape. On January 7, 2026, Munro assisted in the lawful seizure of Bella 1, the Justice Department said.
During the chase, Kalandadze reportedly ignored multiple orders from federal law enforcement to stop the vessel and destroyed records and other information on board. The Justice Department stated that he acted on instructions from a corporate representative of the vessel’s operator.
Concealment Methods Used Onboard
While under Kalandadze’s command, Bella 1 employed several tactics to obscure its activity. The vessel operated with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off, preventing transmission of its identity and location. It also concealed the name Bella 1 during a ship-to-ship transfer of Iran-origin oil to another vessel.
Investigation and Statement
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said Kalandadze had captained a vessel used to conceal oil shipments for US adversaries and fled after being ordered to stop by the Coast Guard.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, with support from the Justice Department’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and its Office of International Affairs. The department acknowledged the assistance of the US Coast Guard and the US Department of War.
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