At least a dozen tankers carrying Venezuelan crude oil and fuel have reportedly departed the country's waters since the start of the year, despite a strict US-led naval blockade ordered by President Donald Trump. This movement suggests a potential breach of the embargo, imposed just before the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by American forces in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Sanctioned Fleet Sails in Secrecy
According to data from TankerTrackers.com and shipping documents from Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA, all the identified vessels are under international sanctions. Most are supertankers that typically transport Venezuelan crude to China. The report indicates these ships are believed to have sailed in 'dark mode', a practice where vessels disable their transponders to avoid tracking.
A source familiar with the departure paperwork confirmed to Reuters that Venezuelan authorities had cleared at least four of these supertankers to leave using this covert method. The White House, the US State Department, PDVSA, and Venezuela's oil ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Routes and Defiance
TankerTrackers.com, which used satellite imagery to identify the vessels, stated that at least four of the departed tankers left Venezuelan waters on Saturday. They navigated a route north of Margarita Island after pausing briefly near the nation's maritime border.
While it remains unclear if these departures constitute a direct defiance of the US blockade, President Trump's statements have added complexity. He confirmed on Saturday that the oil embargo remained in full force following Maduro's extraction. However, he also noted that Venezuela's largest customers, including China, would continue to receive oil shipments.
Economic Fallout and Storage Glut
The ongoing blockade has severely impacted Venezuela's economy, for which oil exports are the primary source of revenue. PDVSA had amassed a significant inventory of floating storage since the US embargo began last month, bringing the country's oil exports to a virtual standstill.
This logjam has forced the company to reduce oil output and request that some joint ventures shut down well clusters. The directive comes due to accumulated stocks of oil and residual fuel both onshore and in vessels anchored near its ports.
The revenue from these exports is seen as critical for an interim government, expected to be led by Oil Minister and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, to finance public spending and attempt to secure stability in the politically fractured nation.
