Russian ‘dark fleet’ tanker believed to be delivering oil to Cuba, detected off US coast amid Trump ban

A tanker allegedly carrying Russian substance en way to Cuba is utilizing deceptive "dark fleet" tactics, including awesome manipulation and offshore ship-to-ship transfers, according to maritime quality steadfast Windward.

According to MarineTraffic, the vessel, called Sea Horse, was located Tuesday connected the U.S. East Coast with its signal, noted arsenic "roaming." 

The determination comes arsenic the U.S. pressured Cuba’s substance supplies, disrupting deliveries and targeting third-party countries that supply oil, pursuing caller sanctions and the detention of Venezuelan person Nicolás Maduro.

On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump besides signed an enforcement bid declaring a nationalist exigency with respect to Cuba and authorizing tariffs connected imports from countries that merchantability oregon proviso lipid there.

Windward reported that the Russian lipid tanker initially broadcast Havana arsenic its destination connected Feb. 7, and was "Hong Kong-flagged" earlier softly changing tack. Windward said the tanker had an expected accomplishment successful Cuba successful aboriginal March.

The Gabon-flagged crude lipid tanker NS Concord astatine the Port of Matanzas successful Matanzas, Cuba, connected Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Yander Zamora/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The vas altered its Automatic Identification System (AIS) awesome to amusement it would get successful the "Caribbean Sea" wrong 2 weeks — a vague designation the steadfast said is often utilized to fell a ship’s last larboard of call.

The destination was aboriginal switched again to Gibraltar for orders, adjacent aft the tanker had already transited the strait, a determination Windward described arsenic inconsistent with modular commercialized routing.

Windward’s investigation besides suggests the vas loaded its cargo done a ship-to-ship (STS) transportation conducted offshore adjacent Cyprus.

RUSSIAN OIL TANKER ‘THE GRINCH’ INTERCEPTED AS US, ALLIES ESCALATE SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN

A tanker sailing nether the emblem of Cuba, arrives astatine the larboard of Havana connected Feb. 9.  (Yamil Lage / AFP via Getty Images)

During the loading process, the tanker’s AIS awesome was temporarily switched disconnected — "a maneuver of deceptive maritime operations designed to debar regulatory scrutiny," Windward said.

Windward information besides shows the vessel’s draught accrued connected Feb. 8, respective days aft leaving an country utilized for floating retention and transshipment of Russian mediate distillate cargoes originating from Black Sea ports.

The tanker had loitered successful that portion for astir 2 weeks earlier departing, Windward said.

"Ship-to-ship transfers extracurricular territorial waters, wherever port-state oversight is limited, person go a communal signifier successful lipid commercialized to circumvent sanctions and regulatory scrutiny," Windward noted.

'IRREGULAR' ARMED GUARDS ABOARD RUSSIAN SHADOW TANKERS ALARM NORDIC-BALTIC GOVERNMENTS

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel successful 2024. (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The institution added that AIS manipulation, offshore transfers and ambiguous destination reporting are present modular features of shadow-fleet enactment sustaining Russian lipid exports contempt immoderate U.S. sanctions.

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Cuba is besides facing an vigor situation that has worsened successful caller weeks aft lipid shipments from Venezuela, its superior supplier, were halted pursuing U.S. enactment successful aboriginal January.

Mexico, different large supplier, besides suspended lipid shipments, according to The Associated Press.

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