The United States is gearing up to prosecute the crew of the Russian-flagged tanker Mariner, seized for allegedly smuggling banned Venezuelan and Iranian oil. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X that criminal cases will target those who ignored Coast Guard directives during the operation.
‘Despite their attempts to preserve the tanker, full investigations are in motion, and the guilty will face charges,’ Bondi wrote. She extended the warning to other ships under scrutiny by the Justice Department for sanctions violations.
Russia hit back through its Foreign Ministry, which confirmed it is keeping a watchful eye on US boarding activities. Officials urged Washington to treat the Russian nationals humanely, safeguard their rights, and expedite their repatriation.
The seizures occurred on January 7: Mariner in the North Atlantic and Panamanian Sophia in the Caribbean Sea, hours apart. Earlier, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt noted the possibility of extraditing the Mariner crew to American soil for trial.
Russia’s Transport Ministry, per TASS, defended the action as unlawful under the 1982 UN Sea Law Convention, prohibiting force against other nations’ vessels. This clash revives debates on enforcement powers in international waters.
Caught between superpower assertiveness and maritime norms, the incident could reshape sanction strategies and test bilateral relations further. As details emerge, the world awaits the next move in this oily geopolitical chess match.