U.S Coast Guard Intercepts Cargo Ship Carrying Fuel Bound For Cuba Amid Oil Embargo

The US Coast Guard has stopped a 91-metre (300-foot) ship carrying fuel to Cuba in the Caribbean Sea.

The ship, M/V Grace, was stopped on September 5 between Cuba and Mexico. Coast Guard personnel boarded the vessel and later took it to Progreso, Mexico.

The Coast Guard said Grace was heading for Cuba and appeared to be using methods often linked to the “dark fleet”.

After the ship reached Mexico, a Mexican Navy team inspected it. The team found large amounts of fuel in the ship’s ballast tanks. It also found several containers that authorities believed held illicit fuel.

The Coast Guard said keeping fuel in ballast tanks can create a risk to the marine environment.

The US Coast Guard said the US and Mexican action stopped an unregulated fuel transfer from taking place in the Caribbean.

The agency said hidden cargo, unsafe conditions on a ship and methods used to avoid detection can increase the risk of oil spills and pollution.

Such pollution could affect coastal communities, fish stocks and marine ecosystems, the Coast Guard said.

“Illicit fuel shipments violate international law and pose severe environmental threats in the Caribbean,” Vice Adm. Nate Moore, the Coast Guard’s deputy commandant for operations, said.

Moore said working with other countries was important to stop illegal fuel shipments and enforce international law.

The Coast Guard also thanked Mexico for helping with the operation.

The interception comes as the Trump administration continues its pressure on Cuba. The US government has openly said that its goal is to bring about a change in Cuba’s government.

A US oil blockade introduced earlier this year has put more pressure on Cuba. The country is facing fuel shortages and blackouts, while problems with its infrastructure have made the situation worse.

Venezuela and Mexico have been traditional suppliers of oil to Cuba. Those shipments stopped abruptly after the United States ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.

US Coast Guard cutters continue to patrol waters around Cuba. Sanctions and threats have also discouraged tankers from sailing to the island.

The Coast Guard said Grace was believed to be using tactics commonly associated with the “dark fleet”.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm Kevin Lunday said the agency would continue to act against vessels involved in illicit activities.

The Coast Guard said it continues to carry out operations against dark-fleet, stateless and vessels that do not meet international standards.

The Grace case follows the Coast Guard’s boarding and detention of M/V Jaira Provider earlier this summer.

The Coast Guard said Jaira Provider was another substandard vessel carrying illicit fuel to Cuba.

The Coast Guard has not released the amount of fuel found on Grace. It has also not provided further details on how officials determined that the shipment was going to Cuba.

References: USCG, the guardian