Foreign-flagged tankers are arriving in Venezuela, undermining U.S. sanctions and complicating maritime enforcement efforts.
According to data from TankerTrackers.com, foreign-flagged tankers are still calling at Venezuelan ports despite the White House's 'quarantine' order and new U.S. policies aimed at seizing vessels linked to the country.
The independent consultancy reported to Reuters that at least two sanctioned vessels have reached Venezuela in recent days, with two additional non-sanctioned vessels en route. Lloyd’s List identified these vessels as the Chinese-flagged Thousand Sunny and Xing Ye, with the latter reportedly waiting off the coast of French Guiana.
The Chinese government opposes U.S. intervention in Venezuela's tanker trade, and the arrival of non-sanctioned Chinese-flagged vessels complicates Washington's geopolitical calculations regarding its de facto 'blockade.'
So far, two loaded Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) have been seized by the U.S., one of which is now anchored off Galveston under U.S. supervision. According to a report published by the New York Times on Tuesday, another non-compliant vessel, Bella 1, is being 'monitored' in the Atlantic.
The crew of Bella 1 has reportedly raised a Russian flag on the vessel to deter American boarding attempts. Russia has long been an ally of Venezuela and has recently made strong statements against the U.S. maritime blockade.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, stated in a speech at the United Nations last week that 'the illegal blockade imposed by the U.S. on the Venezuelan coastline is a real act of aggression.' Nebenzia emphasized that there are strong indications this is not a one-off action by the U.S. against Venezuela.
Reports indicate that Bella 1 has altered its course to head north towards the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Passage. The vessel turned off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals a few weeks ago, making its current location and course unverified.
U.S. Coast Guard officials previously stated to the New York Times that seizing Bella 1 would require a specially trained search, seizure, and boarding team to reach the area.
Source: www.denizhaber.com
