A significant US military surveillance operation is underway in the Atlantic, with American aircraft monitoring a sanctioned oil tanker approximately 250 miles off the coast of Ireland. This forms part of a broader clampdown on Venezuelan oil exports, with around a dozen other vessels reportedly attempting to evade a naval blockade in the Caribbean by turning off their tracking beacons.
The Atlantic Surveillance Operation
According to reports, the vessel under watch, now named the Marinera, began its journey in Iran. It was destined to collect oil in Venezuela before encountering the US blockade and departing the Caribbean in December. The ship has since changed its name from Bella 1, switched its registration from Guyanese to Russian, and appears to be heading for Russia.
While US naval forces are not in direct pursuit, P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft deployed from bases in the UK and Iceland are conducting patrols in the waters surrounding the tanker. This high-altitude monitoring underscores the international reach of Washington's sanctions enforcement.
Evading the Caribbean Blockade
The operation off Ireland is just one facet of a concerted effort to throttle Venezuela's oil revenue. On Sunday, Washington announced a "quarantine" on Venezuelan oil, following the seizure of Nicolás Maduro, who faces US drug trafficking charges. This action builds on President Donald Trump's announcement on 16 December of a "complete blockade" on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, with an exemption only for oil shipped by Chevron.
Monitoring service TankerTrackers.com reports that about a dozen sanctioned ships have sailed from Venezuela and subsequently disabled their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals, a move designed to hide their locations. Satellite imagery indicates at least four left Venezuelan waters via a route north of Isla Margarita.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, described the move as one of the most significant naval quarantines in modern history, aimed at cutting off a vital revenue stream for Maduro's government and preventing Venezuelan oil from benefitting US adversaries.
Spoofing and Defiance Within Venezuela
The tactics to breach the blockade appear sophisticated. The New York Times reported that at least 16 oil tankers attempted to break out in a 48-hour period, using methods such as fake ship names and spoofing their GPS positions. Notably, four vessels left port without authorisation from the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, hinting at possible internal defiance.
Meanwhile, other sanctioned vessels have left Venezuelan ports empty after delivering cargoes and completing domestic trips, as reported by Reuters. In Venezuela, the government has condemned US actions as "piracy" but, following Maduro's abduction, has also called for a "balanced and respectful" relationship, likely in an effort to deter further military escalation.
The Guinea-flagged tanker MT Bandra, also under sanctions, remains immobilised at the El Palito terminal near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, symbolising the widespread impact of the US-led pressure campaign on the country's oil industry.
