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Seized oil tanker reappears with new identity after leaving Scottish waters

Reuters The tanker is a large ship with rusty marks on its hull. The upper part of its hull is painted blue and it has a white bridge and a single blue funnel. In the foreground is a white US Coast Guard vessel. There are snow-covered hills in the background.Reuters
The tanker was last seen leaving the Moray Firth before reappearing in the Gulf of Mexico

A Russian-flagged tanker that was moored in Scottish waters after being seized by the United States is now sailing under a new identity in the Caribbean Sea, BBC Verify has found.

The Marinera – previously called Bella 1 – was seized on 7 January in a US Coastguard and Navy operation following a lengthy pursuit from near the Caribbean across the North Atlantic.

Analysis of ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic shows that the vessel switched off its tracking after it was seen anchored off Burghead in the Moray Firth in February.

But it reappeared on 24 April in the Gulf of Mexico and is now sailing around Aruba under the name Era.

When the ship's tracking was turned on, it was seen just outside Galveston, a port city neighbouring Houston.

The vessel's tracking data showed it spent May in the same location, with its destination listed as "conducting trials" – a term typically used when a ship is not on a commercial voyage and may be undergoing testing or other non-operational activity.

On 4 June, its destination was updated to "for orders" – a standard shipping phrase indicating it was sailing without a confirmed port and awaiting instructions.

The change suggests the tanker shifted from a period of inactivity to being under way again, but without a clearly declared next destination.

On 6 June, it changed its destination to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Later the same day, its name changed to Era and its flag from Russia to Comoros, and it departed Houston.

The US accused the Marinera of breaking sanctions by carrying oil for Venezuela, Russia and Iran.

When contacted by the BBC the Department for Justice declined to comment.

The UK government backed the operation to seize the tanker, saying it was a lawful action against a vessel involved in breaching sanctions.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) provided operational support, and US planes used UK airfields, including some in Scotland.

But the Russian government denounced the seizure, demanding that the US treat Russian nationals aboard properly and allow them to return to Russia quickly.

US administration sources later said the tanker would be subject to a judicial forfeiture process when it arrived in the US.

The MoD confirmed at the time that the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Tideforce and RAF surveillance aircraft were supporting American personnel, and that "deterring, disrupting and degrading" Russia's "shadow fleet" was a priority.