Ghost Fleet Tanker Master Pleads Guilty After Weeks-Long Pursuit Across the Atlantic

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The former master of a tanker linked to the so-called “ghost fleet” used to transport sanctioned oil from Iran and Venezuela pleaded guilty in federal court after leading the U.S. Coast Guard on a weeks-long pursuit spanning thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, a citizen of the Republic of Georgia, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to failing to obey a lawful order to heave to a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. The charge stems from a December 2025 maritime interdiction involving the Motor Tanker Bella 1, a vessel authorities say was used to transport millions of barrels of sanctioned oil for the benefit of U.S. adversaries.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 7. The offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, absent aggravating circumstances. Federal officials said Kalandadze will be deported following completion of any prison sentence imposed by the court.

According to court documents, Kalandadze served as master of the Bella 1 from September 2025 through late December 2025. During that period, the vessel transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia while employing deceptive maritime practices designed to conceal its activities from international authorities.

Investigators said the vessel routinely operated with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) disabled, a tactic commonly associated with sanctions evasion and illicit maritime operations. Authorities also stated the vessel concealed its identity during a ship-to-ship transfer involving Iranian oil.

The Bella 1 was later en route to Venezuela when it was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro in December 2025. Rather than comply with lawful orders to stop, prosecutors said the vessel fled and initiated a pursuit that continued across the Atlantic Ocean.

Federal authorities said Kalandadze repeatedly ignored commands issued by U.S. Coast Guard personnel and, under the direction of a corporate representative connected to the vessel’s operator, took additional actions intended to prevent interdiction. Investigators also alleged records and information aboard the vessel were destroyed during the pursuit.

The chase ended on Jan. 7, 2026, when the Coast Guard successfully assisted in executing a lawful seizure of the vessel.

The case highlights growing federal efforts to target the global “ghost fleet,” a network of aging tankers frequently used to transport sanctioned oil while concealing ownership, cargo origins, vessel identities, and movements. These vessels often employ techniques such as disabling tracking systems, falsifying documentation, conducting covert ship-to-ship transfers, and operating through complex ownership structures designed to obscure accountability.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said the guilty plea demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to pursuing operators involved in sanctions evasion across the globe.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia stated that Kalandadze’s actions placed American service members at risk by forcing Coast Guard personnel to conduct a dangerous boarding operation in heavy seas while attempting to evade law enforcement.

Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations said investigators used expertise in illicit finance and dark fleet operations to identify, track, and ultimately seize the sanctioned vessel.

Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division stated that the vessel’s activities involved efforts to move illicit oil connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the United States has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Defense.

Federal prosecutors Christopher T. Tortorice and Jonathan Hornok for the District of Columbia, along with Acting Deputy Chief Sean R. Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, are handling the case.

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