US blacklists six vessels for undermining Venezuela sanctions

The United States blacklisted oil trading firms, individuals and ships that have helped Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, sell crude mainly to Asia, despite Washington’s sanctions on the South American nation.

Namely, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three individuals, fourteen entities, and six vessels for their ties to a network attempting to evade United States sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector.

“Those facilitating the illegitimate Maduro regime’s attempts to circumvent United States sanctions contribute to the corruption that consumes Venezuela. The United States remains committed to targeting those enabling the Maduro regime’s abuse of Venezuela’s natural resources.”

…said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin.

Among others, this action includes the designation and blocking of the following maritime entities and vessels.

Namely, the entities were designated for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy, and the vessels were identified as blocked property of these entities.

All the vessels have recently lifted Venezuelan oil and thus have facilitated continued sanctions evasion and related activities for PdVSA and the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro:

• Fides Ship Management LLC and its vessels Baliar, Balita, Domani and Freedom.
• Maksim Gorky and its owner Instituto Nacional de los Espacios Acuaticos e Insulares (INEA).
• Rustanker LLC with its vessel Sierra.