M/T Sophia

The "shadow fleet" refers to a collection of ships, some reflagged to Russia, used to transport sanctioned oil from countries like Venezuela, potentially seeking Kremlin protection from seizure. These vessels are newsworthy due to increased scrutiny and enforcement actions by the US. Recently, the US seized two tankers connected to Venezuelan oil in separate operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean. One of these tankers, the Marinera, was Russian-flagged and boarded after a nearly two-week pursuit. This action highlights the US's commitment to enforcing sanctions and disrupting illicit oil trade, impacting global energy markets and geopolitical relations with countries involved in sanctioned activities.