Four oil tankers Athens Voyager, Chios I, Seahero, Voyager I were slapped with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for trading a Venezuelan oil in February. Following their ships, shipowners were also blacklisted: Afranav Maritime Ltd (Marshall Islands), Seacomber Ltd (Greece), Adamant Maritime Ltd (Marshall Islands), Sanibel Shiptrade Ltd (Marshall Islands).
According to Press Release of the U.S. Department of Treasury, the operation in Venezuela’s oil sector assets for the illegitimate regime of President Nicolas Maduro. Consequently, it is unacceptable. Everyone who facilitates the activity like this can lost access to the U.S. financial system.
Explaining this situation, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin claimed: “The illegitimate Maduro regime has enlisted the help of maritime companies and their vessels to continue the exploitation of Venezuela’s natural resources for the regime’s profit. The United States will continue to target those who support this corrupt regime and contribute to the suffering of the Venezuelan people.”
According to Gcaptain, VLCC Seahero (the shipowner – Adamant Maritime Ltd) received this notice, when it was moving to Asia after stopping in Trinidad and Tobago.
Ray Fohr, spokesman in the last U.S. oil producer in Venezuela Chevron, stated, that the voyage of Seahero is not related to Venezuela.
Let us recall, not so long ago, the United States blacklisted similar oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 carrying 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil.