A private trader chartered the oil tanker Marinera under the flag of Guyana has been seized by a United States Coast Guard vessel. On December 8, reports indicate that the ship changed its flag to Russia in the Atlantic Ocean following initial action by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The American vessel demanded that the crew proceed to a U.S. port because the United States had not received confirmation from Guyana that it had registered the tanker under that nation’s flag. However, the Marinera refused compliance and continued its journey toward the Atlantic. En route, the ship altered its name and obtained temporary registration under the Russian flag from the port authorities of Sochi.
The vessel carries 28 people onboard: 20 Ukrainian citizens, six Georgian citizens including the captain, and two Russian sailors. On December 24, 2025, Russia’s Ministry of Transport reported that the Marinera had received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag. That same day, Russia’s foreign ministry stated it demanded humane treatment from the United States for its citizens aboard the vessel while monitoring reports of American military personnel boarding the ship.
