“According to open sources, the crew of the tanker Marinera, seized by the United States in the Atlantic Ocean on January 7, 2026, consists of 28 sailors, including six Georgian nationals, one of whom, according to circulated information, is the ship’s captain. The crew also includes 20 Ukrainian and two Russian nationals,” reads the statement by the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia.

“According to available information, the aforementioned tanker was seized by the United States on allegations of possible violations of international sanctions imposed on Venezuela. The Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia is currently clarifying the factual circumstances, including identifying the ship’s employing company and searching for information about the Georgian crew members,” the statement reads.

For reference, the tanker Marinera, which was sailing under the Russian flag, was seized by U.S. military forces on January 7. As is known, this vessel was previously named “Bella 1” and has been placed on the U.S. Treasury Department’s blacklist for transporting Iranian, Venezuelan and Russian oil.

According to available information, the tanker Bella 1, which was sailing under the Guyanese flag, entered the Caribbean Sea as early as December 20. The U.S. Coast Guard demanded that the vessel stop and be inspected, but the crew did not comply with the request and set course for the Atlantic Ocean. It was pursued by several American ships.

On December 30, the ship’s crew replaced the Panamanian flag with the Russian one, and the tanker appeared in Russia’s maritime register under the name Marinera. Following this, on December 31, Russia sent an official note to the U.S. demanding that the pursuit of the ship cease and dispatched several Russian warships and a submarine to the tanker. Despite this, American military forces seized the vessel nonetheless. American Marines landed on the deck of Bella 1 from a helicopter; as reported by foreign media, Russian warships were in the vicinity of the tanker but took no action.

Furthermore, U.S. authorities have stated that the crew members of the seized vessel will face criminal charges.