Karibik: US-Küstenwache stoppt Schiff mit Treibstoff für Kuba

Washington: The US Coast Guard intercepted a vessel suspected of illegally supplying fuel to Cuba in the Caribbean, according to the agency. A tactical team boarded the ship, named "Grace," at the beginning of September and escorted it to the port of Progreso in Mexico, the Coast Guard announced. The Mexican Navy confirmed the presence of large amounts of fuel in the ship's ballast tanks.

Since December, a US oil embargo against the socialist Caribbean nation has been in place, suspending nearly all deliveries from third countries, exacerbating Cuba's already precarious energy situation. The Cuban private sector is allowed to import fuel from the US, but the embargo has strained its energy supply. However, the ship allegedly employed tactics of the "shadow fleet," using deceptive maneuvers to avoid detection, according to the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Commanding Officer Kevin Lunday stated, "The high seas are not a haven for lawlessness." The fuel was not only found illegally stored in the ballast tanks but also in several containers on board, the agency reported. The exact amount of fuel on board and the flag the ship was flying remained unclear.