The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blacklisted additional six vessels linked to Venezuelan PdVSA, with the latter having already been sanctioned.
Accordingly, the vessels that have been blacklisted are:
- Icaro
- Luisa Caceres de Arismendi
- Manuela Saenz
- Paramaconi
- Terepaima
- Yare
All vessels stated above, departed Venezuela for Cuba in the fall to deliver oil for the sanctioned Cuban trading firm Cubametales.
In addition to the above, OFAC identified the vessel “Esperanza” as blocked property of Caroil Transport Marine Ltd., that had been designated on September 24, 2019, being entangled with the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy.
The Esperanza was previously listed as the Nedas on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, which was identified as blocked property on April 12, 2019
… OFAC adds.
Theses new sanctions are against Maduro’s corruption in the oil sector and the mechanisms used to transport oil to the Cuban regime, winning security and assistance.
Treasury Deputy Secretary Justin Muzinich stated that
Cuba and the former Maduro regime continue trying to circumvent sanctions by changing the names of vessels and facilitating the movement of oil from Venezuela to Cuba. The United States will continue to take necessary action to protect the people of Venezuela.
Recently, OFAC sanctioned Cuban company Corporacion Panamericana S.A. being linked with Venezuelan Cubametales, an entity designated on July 3, 2019, for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy.
