Charges have been brought against the captain of the tanker Mariner seized by the United States

Avtandil Kalandadze, the captain of the tanker Mariner, which was seized by the US Coast Guard, was charged with two counts. The American newspaper The New York Times wrote about this on February 18.

"The first charge concerns the false raising of the flag of Guyana on a tanker — the vessel was not registered in that country — in an attempt to avoid capture by the US Coast Guard on December 20. The second charge concerns the failure to comply with the Coast Guard's order to stop the tanker and allow American troops to board it," the publication says.

The newspaper writes that this is the first time that US President Donald Trump's measures against Venezuelan oil have led to criminal charges. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded eight more vessels involved in the oil trade from Venezuela.

Oil boarding: the United States seized a Venezuelan tanker

The conflict between Washington and Caracas is reaching a new level

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on January 9 that US President Donald Trump, after Russia's appeal, decided to release two Russian citizens from the tanker's crew. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on January 20 that the situation with the seized tanker Mariner was a matter of concern, as international law and conventions had been violated during its detention. The sailors were released on January 28.

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