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Master of Shadow Fleet Tanker Sentenced to 10 Months for Evading U.S. Coast Guard

Avtandil Kalandadze was sentenced in Washington, D.C., after fleeing from a U.S. Coast Guard cutter during a multi-week pursuit across the Atlantic Ocean.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 8:48 a.m. ET
On August 7, 2026, official court records show that Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, of the Republic of Georgia, was in U.S. District Court to 10 months imprisonment for failing to heave to a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. According to official documents from the U.S. Department of Justice, Kalandadze was the former ship master of the shadow fleet tanker Bella 1. He pleaded guilty on June 12 before Judge Beryl A. Howell and will be deported at the completion of his prison term. Official documents state that from September 2025 until late December 2025, the Bella 1 transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia while Kalandadze served as master. During this time, Kalandadze employed obfuscation techniques, such as sailing with an inactivated Automatic Identification System (AIS) and concealing the vessel's name during a ship-to-ship transfer. In December 2025, while en route to Venezuela, the Bella 1 was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro, but Kalandadze refused orders to heave to and fled across the Atlantic Ocean. The Cutter Munro pursued the Bella 1 throughout its flight and aided in the execution of a lawful seizure on Jan. 7. Official documents note that at the direction of a corporate representative of the operator, Kalandadze took steps to avoid interdiction, including destroying records and information on board the vessel. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro stated, “Kalandadze captained a vessel used to conceal illicit oil shipments for U.S. adversaries, and when the Coast Guard ordered him to stop, he fled.” Pirro added, “This case demonstrates that those who try to evade U.S. law enforcement even on the open sea will be held accountable. The ocean does not place anyone beyond our reach.” The matter was investigated by HSI and the FBI, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher T. Tortorice, Rajbir Datta, Jonathan Hornok, and Acting Deputy Chief Sean R. Heiden.

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 12:48current

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