US prepares criminal charges against crew members of Russia's shadow fleet tanker

The U.S. Department of Justice will bring criminal charges against the crew members of the oil tanker Bella 1, sailing under a Russian flag, which was detained in the Atlantic Ocean for violating U.S. sanctions.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi reported this on the social media platform X, according to Ukrinform.

"Today the United States executed a seizure warrant for the BELLA 1, a crude oil tanker responsible for transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. The BELLA 1 was previously designated by OFAC for its role in a sanctions evasion network responsible for supporting foreign terrorist organizations," Bondi wrote.

According to her, the tanker's crew desperately tried to evade detention and flee from the U.S. Coast Guard, but Bella was ultimately stopped.

"As a consequence of failing to obey the Coast Guard's orders, members of this vessel are under full investigation and criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors," she noted.

She added that the U.S. Department of Justice is currently monitoring several other tankers with a view to taking similar measures.

"Anyone on any vessel who fails to obey instructions of the Coast Guard or other federal officials will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Bondi warned.

As Ukrinform reported, on January 7 U.S. law enforcement and military personnel detained an oil tanker flying a Russian flag in the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the sanctioned oil tankers that had been operating near Venezuela and, after the U.S. Coast Guard began pursuing it, changed its flag to Russian and its name from Bella 1 to Marinera.

However, despite official appeals by the Russian side to Washington to stop the pursuit of the allegedly Russian vessel, the U.S. side stated that it considers the tanker to belong to no country and to be sailing under a false flag.