Spanish
Several oil tankers have begun to divert from Venezuela after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, threatened to impose a “total and absolute blockade” on sanctioned vessels entering or leaving the South American country. The warning marks an escalation in the White House's pressure strategy against the Nicolás Maduro regime.
Trump said on Tuesday that he had ordered a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela, a formulation that, if applied, could suffocate one of the country's main sources of income with the largest proven crude oil reserves in the world. However, the exact scope of the threat has not been officially clarified by the US Administration.
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During his first term, the United States imposed sanctions that prohibit U.S. companies and citizens from buying Venezuelan oil without specific authorization from the Treasury Department. This regime is compounded by measures against hundreds of vessels that make up what authorities and analysts describe as a “ghost fleet”, used to transport crude oil from countries under sanctions such as Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. According to maritime intelligence firm Windward, at least 30 sanctioned vessels are currently operating in the vicinity of Venezuelan waters. Some of them have begun to change course or alter navigation patterns, in apparent response to the risk of seizures or new sanctions. “It’s pretty clear this has disrupted energy flows to and from Venezuela,” noted Michelle Wiese Bockmann, an analyst at Windward. “Every hour we track these vessels we see oil tankers diverting, loitering or changing their behavior,” she added. One of the most visible cases is that of the Hyperion ship, which was heading to the Venezuelan port of José, one of the main crude oil export centers in the country. In the early hours of Wednesday, the ship made a 90-degree turn and headed north, moving away from South America, according to maritime tracking data. The Hyperion was formerly part of the Russian state-owned transport fleet and is among the 173 vessels sanctioned during the final days of Joe Biden's presidency for allegedly facilitating exports of Russian oil in violation of sanctions imposed on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine.Following those sanctions, the vessel changed its flag from Comoros to Gambia. However, in November, the authorities of that African country removed the Hyperion and dozens of other ships from its maritime registry, privately managed, for the alleged use of false certificates claiming to have been issued by the Gambian maritime authority.
The ownership structure of the vessel remains opaque and fragmented into multiple layers of shell companies, some registered in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, a common pattern in the fleet used to evade international sanctions. That framework, according to industry experts, increases the legal vulnerability of the vessels. "It is evident that it is in a position to be seized," warned Wiese Bockmann, referring to the Hyperion, in a context of increasing surveillance by US authorities. Trump's threat comes a few days after the seizure of the Skipper vessel by US forces near Venezuela, an episode that has heightened fear among maritime operators and insurers. Although Washington has not yet detailed the specific mechanisms of a possible "blockade", the mere announcement has been enough to disrupt oil traffic. For Venezuela, which heavily relies on crude oil exports to sustain its economy, any prolonged disruption in maritime routes adds pressure to a sector already weakened by years of sanctions, lack of investment, and infrastructure deterioration. The movement of ships suggests that, even without formal definitions, the perceived risk is having immediate effects on the country's energy trade.
