A tanker believed to have been dismantled years ago is now poised to arrive in Venezuela, highlighting how the country’s oil trade continues to rely on an increasingly opaque fleet of so-called “zombie” vessels to sustain crude exports despite heavy sanctions, reports gCaptain.
According to ship-tracking data, the tanker calling itself Freesia I — a 27-year-old vessel reportedly scrapped in 2021 — was expected to reach Venezuelan waters late this week. Analysts believe the ship’s identity has been assumed by another vessel in order to obscure its true origins and movements, a common tactic in the murky world of sanctions evasion.
Zombie vessels and Sanctions evasion
Venezuela’s oil industry, once among the largest globally, has suffered severe declines in production and export capacity due to chronic underinvestment and tightening international sanctions. Despite this, Caracas has maintained crude shipments — predominantly to China — by leveraging an aging and opaque fleet of tankers that frequently use deceptive maritime practices to mask their activities.
These practices include:
- Identity Assumption: Older or scrapped ships’ names and identifiers (such as IMO numbers) are reused by operating vessels to evade detection. This allows sanctioned tankers to appear as legally valid ships under international tracking systems.
- Transponder Manipulation: Vessels often alter or disable their AIS (Automatic Identification System) signals, making it harder for regulators and sanction enforcement agencies to trace their routes or verify their true identities.
The Freesia I example typifies these tactics. The vessel was last seen at Venezuela’s José terminal in May, initiated a voyage from Southeast Asia in November, and has since intermittently transmitted dubious location data before going dark off the coast of French Guiana, consistent with patterns observed in other so-called “dark fleet” tankers.
US response and enforcement actions
The United States has significantly escalated its pressure campaign against Venezuela’s shadow fleet this month. US forces have boarded or pursued at least three tankers near Venezuelan waters, including one that was not previously under sanctions — a marked shift toward more direct physical enforcement beyond financial penalties. Washington has framed these actions as part of broader efforts to deter illicit movement of crude and to challenge the Maduro government’s finances.
Analysts suggest that such interdictions signal a new phase in sanctions enforcement, where falsification of shipping data and vessel identities is treated as an actionable criterion for targeting. However, these efforts have so far had limited impact on global oil traders, and markets remain relatively stable despite heightened tensions.
The scale of Venezuela’s shadow fleet
Estimates indicate that the broader dark fleet encompasses approximately 1,500 vessels worldwide, with roughly 400 engaged in Venezuelan crude movements. Many of these ships are very old, uninsured, and registered through shell companies, creating significant legal and regulatory challenges for maritime authorities
Experts argue that Venezuela’s reliance on such methods underscores both the economic desperation of its oil sector and the adaptability of sanctions-evasion networks. Observers also warn that continued use of these deceptive practices could lead to increased geopolitical friction as nations grapple with enforcement, trade disruption, and the legal complexities of maritime sanctions in an era of “zombie” shipping.
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Source: gCaptain
