Ghost Fleet Ships: How some tankers evade sanctions

U.S. authorities seized two tankers this week that tracking firms linked to a so-called "ghost fleet," and reporters said the ships used identity changes and signal spoofing to conceal sanctioned oil shipments.

Ghost fleet ships, also called dark or shadow fleets, are vessels that use deceptive tactics to transport oil while avoiding sanctions. This week U.S. authorities seized two tankers that tracking firms said were part of that practice. One vessel, the Marinera (formerly Bella 1), was the subject of a federal magistrate judge's seizure warrant related to past shipments of Iranian oil. The other, the M Sophia, was described by trackers as a stateless tanker carrying roughly 1.8 to 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude. Key details: - U.S. officials seized the two tankers in the Caribbean this week, according to companies that track global oil shipments. - The Marinera had reportedly evaded U.S. forces for weeks by going dark, changing names, and flying different flags and was seized under a warrant citing its history of transporting Iranian oil. - The M Sophia was reported as stateless and carrying about 1.8–2 million barrels of Venezuelan oil and had previously spoofed its location signals and moved oil for Venezuela, Russia and Iran. Summary: Officials said the seizures targeted vessels that used identity changes and signal deception to conceal sanctioned oil movements. The ships are in U.S. custody and the reporting did not specify the next legal or procedural steps, so the disposition is undetermined at this time.