Russian Oil Tanker Evades US Navy To Reach Venezuela

By Amira El-Fekki‎

Middle East News Reporter

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A sanctioned Russian oil tanker has reportedly reached Venezuela following several route changes and attempts to evade U.S. naval interception in the Caribbean Sea. The ship anchored at Puerto La Cruz, a port city on the South American country's northeastern coast, according to global shipping news outlets.

Why It Matters

The tanker arrived despite a large U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean, part of ongoing counter-drug operations and increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Since 2019, the U.S. has targeted the regime with sanctions on its state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, and by monitoring foreign companies and shadow fleets transporting oil to the country.

What To Know

The Seahorse, a tanker built in 2004 and sanctioned by the UK and the European Union, arrived in Venezuela on Sunday, the Maritime Executive reported. Earlier this month, the ship made a U‑turn off the coast of Venezuela after the USS  Stockdale destroyer intersected its course.

It has reportedly been in the Caribbean since October, but turned away several times due to U.S. interception, though there were no reports of a confrontation. Its presence has been located in the vicinity of Cuba and areas near Puerto Rico. The Seahorse followed a second sanctioned tanker that also reached Venezuela over the weekend, the Russian-flagged tanker Vasily Lanovoy, according to the Maritime Executive.

Russia, China, and Iran have relied on shadow fleets of tankers and cargo vessels to circumvent Western sanctions, operating through hidden networks and complex routing to maintain trade.

Washington's “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuela drove Western firms out, benefiting adversaries: the country sold discounted crude to China, relied on Iran for substances added to oil to aid transportation, and leaned on Russian investors, the Atlantic Council noted in a January analysis.

Tensions with Venezuela escalated after the government rejected the U.S. designation of the alleged criminal network “Cartel de los Soles” as a terrorist organization, which took effect Monday.

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What People Are Saying

Republican U.S. Representative Maria Salazar of Florida told Fox Business on Monday: “Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day because it will be more than a trillion dollars in economic activity. American companies can go in and fix the oil rigs and everything that has to do with the Venezuelan petroleum companies, with oil and the derivatives. The Venezuelans have the largest reserves of oil in the world, more than Saudi Arabia. This is going to be a windfall for us when it comes to fossil fuels."

What Happens Next

The U.S. administration has yet to clarify its next move regarding a military operation in Venezuela, which in turn is likely to rely on Russia, Iran and China for support.

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