Venezuelan oil tankers move to evade US blockade

(MENAFN) At least 16 Venezuelan oil tankers under U.S. sanctions have recently left the country’s ports, apparently attempting to evade a U.S.-enforced naval blockade targeting Venezuela’s oil exports, according to reports.

Based on satellite imagery, shipping data, and industry sources, four of the vessels were tracked sailing east of the Venezuelan coast while disguising their identities or falsifying their locations—a tactic known as spoofing. The other 12 tankers stopped broadcasting tracking signals entirely and have not been located in subsequent satellite imagery. Fifteen of the 16 vessels moving on Saturday were previously sanctioned by the U.S. for transporting Iranian or Russian oil.

Industry sources noted that the four tracked ships departed without authorization from Venezuela’s interim authorities overseeing the oil sector. All had been anchored at export terminals for weeks before leaving over the weekend.

The U.S. imposed a “complete blockade” on sanctioned Venezuelan tankers on December 16, aiming to cut off revenue flows. Officials say the enforcement targets sanctioned “shadow fleet” vessels, while limited exports by U.S.-affiliated firms are still permitted. Since the blockade’s start, U.S. forces have seized or intercepted several tankers attempting to move Venezuelan crude.

Reports indicate Venezuela faces mounting pressure to transport crude, as storage facilities near capacity, while halting production risks damaging oil reservoirs and infrastructure.

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