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New Delhi: Three Indian nationals are among the 28-member crew currently in US custody after the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera was forcibly seized in the North Atlantic on Wednesday. The Indian sailors find themselves at the centre of a major international incident following a high-stakes maritime pursuit that began in the Caribbean Sea, Russia Today reported.
According to Russia’s Transport Ministry and reports from Russia Today (RT), the US military intercepted the vessel due to its alleged ties to sanctioned Venezuelan oil operations.
A diverse crew under detention
While the vessel is Russian-flagged, its crew of 28 is notably international. In addition to the three Indian citizens, the crew includes 17 Ukrainians, 6 Georgians and 2 Russians, said RT report.
The ship, which was reportedly chartered by a private trader and operating under the name Bella 1 (with links to the flag of Guyana), became the target of US forces after it allegedly slipped through a maritime "blockade" designed to halt the flow of sanctioned oil.
The dramatic seizure
According to a Reuters report, the operation was a joint effort between the US Coast Guard and the US military. Reports indicate that the Marinera initially rebuffed efforts by the Coast Guard to board the vessel while in transit. Visual evidence shared by RT showed a helicopter hovering near the tanker during the boarding process. Following the military intervention, the Russian Transport Ministry confirmed it has lost all contact with the ship and its crew.
Historical precedent and geopolitical fallout
This seizure marks a significant escalation in global tensions. According to Reuters, this is the first time in recent memory that the US military has directly seized a merchant vessel flying the Russian flag. The timing is particularly sensitive, occurring just days after a clandestine "dead-in-the-night" operation by US Special Forces in Caracas resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Russia Decries "outright piracy"
The Kremlin has responded with indignation. Andrei Klishas, a senior lawmaker from Russia’s ruling party, described the US action as an act of "outright piracy", according to the TASS state news agency. The US, however, maintains that the seizure, which involved two tankers in total across the North Atlantic and Caribbean, is a lawful enforcement of international sanctions against the Venezuelan regime.
