The ships are hidden to send Venezuelan oil to Cuba

Stopping the flow of Venezuelan oil to its ally, Cuba could be more difficult than expected by the United States. Tankers are changing names and ships are turning off their transponders to navigate the US government radar.

The vessel Ocean Elegance, an oil tanker that has been transporting Venezuelan crude oil to Cuba for three years, has changed its name and is now Ocean after being sanctioned in May. The S-Trotter boat, another on the sanctions list, is now known as Tropic Sea, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The tanker Nedas, after being sanctioned in April, made an incognito delivery to Cuba because he had disabled his satellite tracking system. He did not appear for 42 days, but shipping reports show that he delivered oil to Cuba. After the ghost delivery, he quietly changed his name to Esperanza. Nedas / Esperanza has delivered 2 million barrels of crude oil to Cuba this year, according to shipping reports.

Stopping the flow between the two countries can be difficult. More than 4,500 tankers are in service around the world., and the national oil giant Petroleos de Venezuela SA also use petroleum products transport vessels, which adds to the complexity of the task.

However, the US continues to point the finger at shipments between the two countries and seeks to fill the legal loopholes in sanctions, according to a senior US administration official. The aim is to surgically and methodically reduce funds for President Nicolás Maduro.

Last week, the Treasury Department sanctioned CubametalesImporter of oil and metals from Cuba, because the Havana-based company imports Venezuelan crude and Cuba, in return, "continues to provide support, including defense, intelligence and security, to the illegitimate regime of Cuba. Former president Nicolás Maduro "He said in a statement.

Cuba imports Venezuelan crude for its refineries and fuel to run its power plants and produce electricity. Venezuelan oil supplies were agreed upon in a handshake between ex-presidents Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, then became official in a contract. According to data released by PDVSA, shipments to Cuba reached a peak of 103,000 barrels per day in 2009 and have declined over the years. Volumes dropped to 35,177 barrels per day in the first half of 2019, against a backdrop of declining production and penalties, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.