Sixteen Sanctioned Oil Tankers Depart Venezuela Amid U.S. Blockade
Drawing on satellite imagery, maritime tracking data, and industry insider information, four vessels were observed navigating eastward along Venezuela's coastline while concealing their identities or transmitting false positioning data—a deceptive practice termed spoofing. The other 12 tankers ceased broadcasting location signals entirely and have vanished from follow-up satellite surveillance, Monday's report indicated.
The report noted that 15 of the 16 ships in motion Saturday were operating under US sanctions for prior involvement in transporting Iranian and Russian petroleum.
Industry contacts revealed the four monitored vessels departed without clearance from Venezuela's interim administration supervising the oil industry. Each had remained docked at export facilities for weeks before departing over the weekend.
The US established a "complete blockade" targeting sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers December 16, designed to eliminate revenue streams. US authorities maintain enforcement targets sanctioned "shadow fleet" vessels while permitting restricted exports by US corporations.
Since the blockade's implementation, US forces have captured or halted multiple tankers attempting to ship Venezuelan crude petroleum.
The report indicates Venezuela faces mounting pressure to relocate its crude as storage infrastructure has approached maximum capacity following the blockade, while halting production threatens permanent harm to oil reservoirs and operational systems.
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