A significant maritime standoff is unfolding across the Atlantic, with a US military aircraft now monitoring a sanctioned oil tanker approximately 250 miles off the coast of Ireland. This surveillance forms part of a broader American clampdown on Venezuelan oil exports, which has seen around a dozen vessels attempting to evade a US naval blockade in the Caribbean by switching off their tracking beacons.
The Atlantic Pursuit and Caribbean Evasion
According to reports from The Irish Times, a P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft, deployed from bases in the UK and Iceland, is patrolling waters around the tanker named Marinera. This vessel, which began its journey in Iran, was destined to collect oil in Venezuela before encountering the US blockade. It subsequently left the Caribbean in December, having changed its name from Bella 1 and its registration from Guyanese to Russian. Its apparent course is now set for Russia.
Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, the situation is equally tense. Monitoring service TankerTrackers.com reports that at least a dozen ships under US sanctions have sailed from Venezuela with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals disabled, a tactic used to avoid tracking. Satellite imagery indicates at least four of these vessels left Venezuelan waters via a route north of Isla Margarita.
A "Quarantine" to Throttle Revenue
The US government announced this maritime "quarantine" on Venezuelan oil last Sunday, aiming to maintain pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro following his seizure on US drug trafficking charges. This action followed a steady military buildup in the region and President Donald Trump's declaration on 16 December of a "complete blockade" on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, with an exemption only for oil shipped by Chevron.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the operation as one of the largest naval quarantines in modern history, explicitly designed to throttle Venezuela's crucial oil revenue. He added that Washington also aims to prevent Venezuelan oil from benefitting US adversaries.
Defiance and Disruption in Venezuelan Ports
The enforcement of the blockade has caused significant disruption and apparent defiance within Venezuela. The New York Times reported that in the past two days alone, at least 16 oil tankers have attempted to break out, using tactics like spoofing—broadcasting fake ship names and positions. Notably, four vessels left port without authorisation from the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, suggesting a challenge to her authority, according to internal communications from the state oil company PDVSA.
In a separate development, Reuters noted that another group of sanctioned vessels left Venezuela empty after delivering cargoes and completing domestic trips, highlighting the complex web of maritime activity surrounding the crisis.
The Venezuelan government has condemned the US actions as "piracy." However, in the wake of Maduro's abduction, it has also called for a "balanced and respectful" relationship, in what appears to be an effort to deter further military escalation. The situation leaves a key tanker, the Guinea-flagged MT Bandra, still tied up at the El Palito terminal near Puerto Cabello, symbolising the broader deadlock.
