Overview
- Attorney General Pam Bondi said investigators will bring criminal charges against crew members who allegedly refused U.S. Coast Guard orders during the North Atlantic detention.
- The White House said the crew could be transported to the United States for court proceedings over possible federal violations.
- The Pentagon described the boarding as a coordinated effort with the Justice Department and Homeland Security and linked it to enforcing the Venezuela oil embargo.
- Russia protested the boarding as a breach of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and said the vessel had temporary authorization to sail under the Russian flag granted on December 24, 2025.
- Vice President J.D. Vance said the tanker posed as a Russian vessel to evade sanctions, and the Justice Department is monitoring other ships with a warning of prosecution for noncompliance.