US targets more oil tankers over Venezuela trade

The US Treasury Department today imposed sanctions on four more oil tankers and their owners for transporting Venezuelan crude cargoes in recent months.

The action enforcing a strict sanctions regime against Caracas followed recent deliveries to Venezuela of gasoline and alkylate from Iran, another target of US sanctions.

Today's Treasury action targets the Panamanian-flagged Athens Voyager, the Maltese-flagged Chios I, the Bahamian-flagged Seahero and the Marshall Islands-flagged Voyager I. The tanker owners are Afranav Maritime, Seacomber, Adamant Maritime and Sanibel Shiptrade.

The Seahero appears currently to be chartered by Chevron, carrying a US crude cargo to the Asia Pacific region. The tanker is listing Ningbao, China, as its current destination, based on AIS data from Fleetmon. Shipping data show the Chios I is off Italy's coast, en route from Taranto to Milazzo. The Athens Voyager left the UAE port of Fujairah today and is heading for the Suez Canal. The Voyager I is at anchor offshore Malaysia, having traveled there from the Caribbean.

The latest sanctions reiterate "that the exploitation of Venezuela's oil assets for the benefit of the illegitimate regime of President Nicolas Maduro is unacceptable, and those that facilitate such activity risk losing access to the US financial system," the Treasury said.

Today's designations add to other tankers placed on the US sanctions list last year for carrying Venezuelan cargoes.

The US earlier this year vowed to intensify sanctions pressure to force Maduro to step down and pave the way for a transition to a democratically elected government. But the Maduro government has recently engaged Iran's help to rebuild the country's refining capacity and import gasoline and alkylate from the fellow Opec producer, which is under an even stricter US sanctions regime.

So far, five tankers carrying Iranian supplies arrived in Venezuela. The tankers challenged the US portrayal of the success of its sanctions regime in isolating Iran and Venezuela, transiting to Venezuela despite vows from the White House to disrupt such trade.

"I wish that it had not gotten there," US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a podcast interview yesterday. "We know that this will happen again, and the world should watch as we do everything we can to make sure that we enforce these sanctions in ways that make sense for the American people."

Pompeo claimed the US disrupted transit of four additional tankers that loaded Iranian products to transport to Venezuela, but did not offer any proof.

Two of the tankers referenced by Pompeo are the Bella and the Bering. The Bella appears to have turned off its transponder in the Mediterranean, based on shipping data. The Bering changed course near Greece after transiting the Suez canal and is now signaling a delivery in Asia.

In an address yesterday, Maduro said he will travel to Tehran as soon as public health conditions permit to strengthen energy, financial and military ties.

By Haik Gugarats