U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that the oil tanker “Marinerra,” which was seized by the United States, was attempting to disguise itself as a Russian ship to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
In an interview with Fox News, Vance explained that the ship was a “fake Russian tanker,” noting that it was seeking to appear as a Russian tanker in order to bypass the sanctions regime.
Available information indicates that the tanker was chartered for private commercial purposes and flies the flag of Guyana, with a crew of 28 people, including 20 Ukrainians, 6 Georgians (including the captain), and two Russians.
According to reports, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel requested the “Marinerra” to head to a U.S.-controlled port after not receiving official confirmation from Guyanese authorities regarding the ship’s right to fly its flag, while it was near the Venezuelan coast.
However, the ship ignored this request and changed its course towards the Atlantic Ocean. During this voyage, the captain changed the ship’s name and obtained temporary registration under the Russian flag from the captain of the port of Sochi, who is authorized to issue this type of registration.
The U.S. European Command announced on Wednesday that U.S. authorities had seized the tanker for violating the U.S. sanctions regime.
In response, the Russian Ministry of Transport stated that forces from the U.S. Navy boarded the ship on the high seas, outside the territorial waters of any country, leading to a loss of contact with it, considering this action a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed that Moscow is closely monitoring the case, demanding that the United States ensure humane treatment of the Russian citizens on board the ship, respect their rights, and not hinder their swift return to Russia.
