A tanker thought to be transporting Russian fuel to Cuba is reportedly employing “black fleet” strategies, such as altering its signals and engaging in offshore transfers, according to a maritime intelligence firm, Windward.
The vessel, named Seahorse, was detected off the U.S. East Coast recently, with its signal described as “roaming.” This maneuver occurs amid intensified U.S. efforts to disrupt Cuba’s fuel sources, which have included new sanctions targeting third-party nations supplying oil to the island, particularly following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Additionally, on January 29, former President Donald Trump declared a national emergency related to Cuba and enacted an executive order permitting tariffs on imports from nations selling oil to the country.
Windward revealed that, initially, the Russian oil tanker had its destination set for Havana but soon changed its course to Hong Kong before amending its trajectory once more. The tanker is projected to reach Cuba by early March.
The ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) was modified to suggest an arrival in the Caribbean within a fortnight, a designation commonly used to obscure a ship’s intended port of call. Subsequently, it indicated Gibraltar as its destination, even though it had already sailed past that area, which Windward noted is unusual for standard shipping routes.
The analysis further suggests that the tanker may have loaded its cargo through ship-to-ship transfer near Cyprus, a common practice to evade oversight and sanctions during oil trade.
During the loading phase, it was observed that the tanker deactivated its AIS signal, a tactic used to dodge regulatory scrutiny, according to Windward. Data also indicates the ship’s draft increased days after it left a region often used for storing Russian oil shipments from Black Sea ports.
Windward remarked that the tanker had been lingering in the vicinity for about a fortnight prior to its departure, highlighting that such offshore transfers often occur beyond territorial waters where oversight is scarce.
The prevalence of ambiguous destination reports and AIS alterations are now routine in shadow fleet operations, which aim to sustain Russian oil exports despite U.S. sanctions.
Cuba is currently grappling with an energy crisis that has deteriorated recently, stemming from the suspension of oil deliveries from its primary supplier, Venezuela, alongside a reported halt in crude shipments from Mexico following U.S. actions in early January.
