Master of Shadow Fleet Tanker Pleads Guilty in D.C. for Evading U.S. Coast Guard During Weeks-Long Pursuit

WASHINGTON - Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, the former ship master of a shadow fleet tanker that historically transported Iran- and Venezuela-origin oil for the ultimate benefit of U.S. adversaries, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for refusing to obey orders from the U.S. Coast Guard during a multi-week pursuit from the Caribbean Sea through to the North Atlantic Ocean, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

"This defendant put American sailors' and Coast Guardsmen's lives at risk while attempting to evade U.S. sanctions and move illicit oil," said U.S. Attorney Pirro for the District of Columbia. "By refusing lawful orders from the U.S. Coast Guard and leading them on a chase across the Atlantic Ocean, he not only obstructed federal law enforcement, but forced our service members to carry out a dangerous boarding operation in heavy seas. Today's guilty plea makes clear that those who endanger American service members and attempt to undermine our sanctions laws will be held fully accountable."

Kalandadze, of the Republic of Georgia, pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to failing to heave to a Coast Guard cutter. Sentencing is set for August 7. Failing to obey an order to heave to carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, absent aggravating circumstances. Kalandadze will be deported at the completion of his prison term.

"Kalandadze's guilty plea today should serve as a warning to ghost fleet owners and operators and all those who man or otherwise support these dangerous, decrepit vessels," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "The Department of Justice and our interagency partners will pursue the ghost fleet and its facilitators from the Caribbean Sea to the North Atlantic, to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Persian Gulf, and anywhere in between. You will not escape."

"Kalandadze led the U.S. Coast Guard on a reckless weeks-long chase across the Atlantic, endangering servicemembers' lives all to turn a profit on sanctioned oil for the benefit of U.S. adversaries," said Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). "Despite early attempts to evade detection, Homeland Security Investigations and our task force partners used our expertise in countering illicit finance and dark fleet movements to identify, locate, and seize these sanctioned tankers. HSI's success in this space comes from our unique transnational criminal investigative authorities, using every tool available to protect the homeland from bad actors working to literally fuel America's enemies."

"Kalandadze used a range of deceptive maritime tactics in an attempt to evade the U.S. Coast Guard and move millions of barrels of illicit oil tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and other sanctioned actors engaged in terrorism," said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. "Those who attempt to evade U.S. sanctions by ignoring U.S. Coast Guard orders will be investigated thoroughly. The FBI and our partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable anyone who uses the global maritime system to finance terrorism."

According to the plea agreement, from September 2025 until late-December 2025, Kalandadze was the Master of the Motor Tanker Bella 1. During his time as Master, the Bella 1 transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia. During this time, Kalandadze employed common obfuscation techniques to hide the activities of the Bella 1, including sailing with an inactivated Automatic Identification System (AIS) and concealing the name of the Bella 1 while engaging in a ship-to-ship transfer of the Iran-origin oil to another vessel.

In December 2025, while under his charge, the Bella 1 was enroute to Venezuela when it was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro. The Bella 1 failed to comply with the Coast Guard's order to heave to and fled across the Atlantic Ocean. The Munro pursued the Bella 1 throughout its flight and, on January 7 aided in the execution of a lawful seizure of the vessel.

During the flight and at the direction of a corporate representative of the Operator, Kalandadze took multiple steps to avoid the Coast Guard interdiction, including disobeying multiple orders by authorized federal law enforcement officers to heave to the U.S. Coast Guard's Munro and destroying records and information onboard the Bella 1.

This case is being investigated by HSI and the FBI. Significant assistance on this matter was provided by the Department of Justice's Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and the Office of International Affairs. The Department extends its gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of War for their bravery, dedication, and assistance on this matter.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher T. Tortorice and Jonathan Hornok for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean R. Heiden of the Department of Justice's National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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