The captain of the Venezuela-linked tanker Marinera was removed from British territorial waters and placed aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro, the lawyer for his wife said. U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged vessel near Iceland on Jan. 7 after a more-than-two-week pursuit aimed at blocking Venezuelan oil exports. A Scottish interim court order to prevent the captain's removal was revoked after he was reported to be outside British waters. Twenty-six crew were processed in Inverness; five chose to travel to the United States.
Captain Of Venezuela-Linked Tanker Marinera Removed From British Waters, Now Aboard U.S. Cutter Munro, Lawyer Says
Oil tanker Marinera, previously known as Bella 1, which was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard, is moored next to a U.S. Coast Guard vessel in the Moray Firth, off the coast of Scotland, Britain, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo
LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The captain of the Venezuela-linked crude oil tanker Marinera was taken from British territorial waters and is now aboard a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the lawyer for the captain's wife said on Tuesday.
U.S. Coast Guard personnel working with U.S. military special forces, acting under a judicial seizure warrant, detained the Russian-flagged Marinera in the Atlantic near Iceland on Jan. 7 after a pursuit that lasted more than two weeks. The operation formed part of U.S. efforts to disrupt shipments of Venezuelan oil to international markets.
After its capture, the tanker was moved to a location off the coast of Scotland. Despite legal attempts in Scottish courts to prevent the crew's removal, Captain Avtandil Kalandadze, a Georgian national, and the vessel's first officer were taken from Scottish jurisdiction and placed on the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro, Aamer Anwar, the lawyer for Kalandadze's wife Natia Dzadzama, said.
COURT ORDER REVOKED
On Monday a Scottish court granted an interim order intended to halt the captain's removal while a judicial review of his detention proceeded. That order was quashed early on Tuesday after the court was told Kalandadze was already outside British territorial waters, Anwar said.
"Our client's judicial review can no longer be enforced now her husband has, in essence, been abducted by the U.S. government on Scottish and British territory," Anwar said in a statement.
A British government spokesperson said, at the request of U.S. authorities, crew members were permitted to disembark for onward travel and would be processed in line with applicable immigration and legal procedures.
"Deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government. Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels – and we will continue to do so," the spokesperson added, referring to ships that transport oil under sanctions.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Coast Guard or the Scottish government.
Anwar said the remaining 26 crew of the Marinera, which previously sailed under the name Bella-1, were processed at a British Army centre in Inverness. Five crew members opted to travel to the United States, while the others made alternative travel arrangements to return to their home countries.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week said Moscow had expected the United States to free the crew, which he said included two Russians as well as Ukrainians, Georgians and Indians.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Alex Richardson and Rod Nickel)
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