WASHINGTON, D.C. – Avtandil Kalandadze, a 47-year-old former ship master of the tanker Bella 1, was sentenced to 10 months in prison today by U.S. District Court for evading the U.S. Coast Guard during a dramatic weeks-long pursuit that spanned from the Caribbean Sea to the North Atlantic Ocean. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentencing, emphasizing the case’s significance in holding individuals accountable for evading U.S. law enforcement.
According to court documents, Kalandadze, a resident of the Republic of Georgia, pleaded guilty to refusing to stop for a Coast Guard cutter after a multi-week chase. From September to December 2025, he was in charge of the Bella 1, which transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil originating from Iran to Asia. During this time, Kalandadze utilized various methods to conceal the vessel’s activities, including disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS) and hiding its name during ship-to-ship oil transfers.
The pursuit reached a climax in December 2025 when the Bella 1 was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro while en route to Venezuela. Kalandadze failed to comply with the Coast Guard’s orders to heave to, prompting the Munro to pursue the tanker across the Atlantic Ocean. The situation escalated until the Coast Guard successfully executed a lawful seizure of the vessel on January 7, 2026.
During the chase, Kalandadze allegedly took multiple steps to avoid capture, including disobeying federal law enforcement orders and destroying records aboard the Bella 1. Following his prison term, Kalandadze is set to be deported. This case highlights the ongoing efforts by federal agencies to combat illicit oil shipments that benefit U.S. adversaries. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI, with substantial support from the Department of Justice.
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