A tanker carrying around 300,000 barrels of Russian naphtha and subject to U.S. sanctions entered Venezuelan waters late Thursday, while another vessel began redirecting its course in the Atlantic Ocean, according to ship‑tracking data.
The contrasting movements reflect last‑minute decisions by ship owners after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers bound for the OPEC nation earlier this week.
The move intensifies pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, targeting the country’s most vital source of income. It follows the U.S. seizure of another tanker off Venezuela’s coast earlier in December.
Meanwhile, tankers not under sanctions resumed departures from Venezuelan ports on Wednesday after a week‑long pause, helping reduce the country’s mounting crude stockpile.
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