A former "shadow fleet" tanker master pleaded guilty on June 12 to refusing to obey orders from the US Coast Guard during a multi-week pursuit across the Atlantic Ocean.
Avtandil Kalandadze, a 47-year-old citizen of the Republic of Georgia, entered the plea in the US District Court for the District of Columbia after failing to heave to a US Coast Guard cutter.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for August 7, after which he will be deported.
According to court documents, Kalandadze served from September 2025 until late-December 2025 as the master of the motor tanker Bella 1, which transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia.
To obscure these activities, the vessel sailed with an inactivated automatic identification system and concealed its name during a ship-to-ship cargo transfer.
While the vessel was en route to Venezuela in December 2025, the US Coast Guard Cutter Munro intercepted it, but Kalandadze fled instead of complying with orders to heave to.
The Munro pursued the tanker across the Atlantic Ocean until January 7, when federal authorities executed a lawful seizure of the vessel.
Under instructions from a corporate representative of the operator, Kalandadze disobeyed multiple authorised federal law enforcement orders and destroyed onboard records and information during the chase.
Commenting on the prosecution, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro stated that the plea makes clear that those who endanger service members, "will be held fully accountable".
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg warned so-called shadow fleet operators, "You will not escape."