Coast Guard Says It Stopped Ships Carrying Fuel to Cuba

The United States Coast Guard announced that it intercepted vessels carrying fuel destined for Cuba as part of ongoing enforcement of the U.S. oil embargo against the island nation. The operations took place in the Caribbean Sea in early September, a period when the embargo remains in effect.

One operation involved a cargo ship identified as the Grace, a vessel measuring approximately 91 metres (300 feet) in length. The ship was stopped on 5 September while traveling between Cuba and Mexico. According to the Coast Guard, the vessel employed tactics commonly used by “dark fleet” ships that attempt to evade detection, and after boarding it was escorted to a port in Mexico.

In a separate action, the Coast Guard reported the seizure of two small boats that were also carrying fuel intended for Cuba. The boats were intercepted as part of the same fuel blockade effort, though details about their size, cargo volume, or exact location of the interception were not provided.

Reports differ on the number and type of vessels intercepted: one account describes a single large cargo ship, while another describes two small boats. Both accounts confirm that the Coast Guard seized fuel shipments bound for Cuba and that the actions were part of the broader U.S. policy to restrict fuel supplies to the Cuban government.

The interceptions illustrate continued U.S. enforcement of the embargo, with the Coast Guard actively interdicting maritime shipments that it deems to be violating the restrictions on fuel exports to Cuba.