Recently, the vessel Bella 1 changed its name to Marinera.
Currently, the tanker Bella 1 is located about 300 miles south of Iceland, according to information from the Automatic Identification System (AIS). As reported by CBS News, the USA intends to intercept this vessel, but it is unclear whether their plans have changed after Russia sent its naval forces to protect it.
On December 20, the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to detain the tanker Bella 1 in the Caribbean Sea as it was heading towards Venezuela under a Panamanian flag. This vessel ended up on the sanctions list due to the transportation of Iranian oil, and as noted by The Wall Street Journal, it is currently not loaded.
The crew, consisting of citizens from Russia, Ukraine, and India, ignored the Coast Guard's demands and changed course. In response, U.S. military forces began to pursue the tanker. To evade capture, the crew painted the Russian flag on the side of the vessel. Soon after the incident, the tanker was renamed Marinera and registered in the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
According to The New York Times, the Russian government sent an official note to the USA demanding the cessation of the tanker’s pursuit. This request was sent to the State Department and the National Security Council at the White House late on December 31, but the USA continued its actions against the vessel.
