Tankers under sanctions secretly left Venezuela

Some 12 oil tankers have quietly sailed from Venezuela in recent days, all of them vessels under US sanctions, according to TankerTrackers.com.

The tankers left the country in so-called 'dark mode', i.e. with tracking turned off, which may indicate a violation of the US embargo.

The move came amid a tense situation following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and under intense economic pressure.

Some ships first stopped at the maritime border and then headed for Margarita Island. Meanwhile, oil exports are key to the revenues of state-owned PDVSA, which is struggling with a surplus of supplies during the US blockade.

Oil Minister Delcy Rodríguez is thus apparently trying to win financial space for the new government. Although President Trump insists the embargo is in place, he has hinted at exemptions for countries such as China, which may explain the tankers' quiet departure.

(reuters, pir)