Sanctioned Oil Tankers Flee Venezuela in Defiance of U.S. Blockade

[littlemissmartypants]

Source: New York Times

At least 16 oil tankers hit by U.S. sanctions appear to have made an attempt to evade a major American naval blockade on Venezuela’s energy exports over the last two days, in part by disguising their true locations or turning off their transmission signals.

For weeks, the ships had been spotted on satellite imagery docked in Venezuelan ports, according to an analysis by The New York Times. But by Saturday, in the wake of President Nicholas Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces, all were gone from those locations.

Four have been tracked by satellite sailing east 30 miles from shore, using fake ship names and misrepresenting their positions, a deceptive tactic known as “spoofing.” These four have left port without the interim government’s authorization, according to internal communications from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company and two people in the Venezuelan oil industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution. The departures could be seen as an early act of defiance of interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s control.

The other 12 are not broadcasting any signals and have not been located in new imagery.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/americas/oil-tankers-venezuela-blockade.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CFA.htOl.AmMNZXlvaLF0&smid=url-share

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By Christiaan Triebert and Anatoly Kurmanaev
Christiaan Triebert reported from New York and Anatoly Kurmanaev from Caracas, Venezuela

Jan. 5, 2026, 3:34 a.m. ET

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[Buddyzbuddy]

1. Whatever you do tanker skippers, don't, I repeat don't try to pass yourselves off as drug boats.

Although I understand if you spray-paint Russian flags on the side of the ship, Putin will tell his pal to leave you alone.

[Igel]

3. The official excuse was that they lacked the proper forces for taking the 3rd tanker.

Now, if it's just crewed by a bunch of sailors armed with GPS devices, that's a lame excuse.

But it was the 3rd, and if I were going to be Maduro for a day at the time I would have made sure that either I had armed forces on that ship or that the customer at the other end had it well defended. Meaning it wouldn't be a small group of Coast Guard needed as they lowered themselves from choppers, but a large group of Coast Guard being shot at with selective-fire weapons from secure positions as they lowered themselves from choppers that were themselves taking fire ... maybe with bits of high velocity lead, maybe with RPGs. (I'd make sure of the RPGs. Think making the ship into a hedgehog. Covered with its own spit. No, wait, that's not the right part of the analogy. Covered with spines.)

Were that the case--and I'm confident that Maduro being Maduro and having no sound advisors either in Venezuela, the PRC, Cuba, Russia, or even perhaps Brazil, such an idea never presented--the official excuse would make a whole lot of sense.

[Cheezoholic]

2. I'm remindedof the scene in Lord of War with the guys hanging off the back painting a new name on it lol

Bet these crews just went full on Black Beard and are gonna try and sell that oil and keep the money for themselves and//or the ship owners. Taking advantage of the chaos immediately after a military action for profit is nothing new.