MFA spokesperson: US releases two Russian Marinera oil tanker crew members

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on January 9 that two Russian citizens from the crew of the oil tanker Marinera had been released by US authorities following an appeal by Moscow.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that US President Donald Trump had decided to free the two Russian crew members who were detained during a US operation in the North Atlantic, Caliber.Az reports via the foreign ministry. 

She said Russia welcomed the decision and expressed gratitude to the US leadership, adding that urgent practical work was underway to ensure the prompt return of the released citizens to Russia.

The comments followed the detention of the vessel on January 7, when US military forces seized the tanker, previously known as Bella 1, in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit that began near the Caribbean. US officials said the ship had been taken into custody for violating American sanctions.

According to US authorities, the Marinera was linked to a so-called “shadow fleet” of vessels used to evade international sanctions related to Venezuelan and Iranian oil shipments. The tanker had been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and was alleged to have previously attempted to evade a boarding operation.

By Sabina Mammadli