Targeting Dark Fleet Tankers Disrupts Sanctioned Oil Trade and Hemispheric Security - Episode Hero Image

Targeting Dark Fleet Tankers Disrupts Sanctioned Oil Trade and Hemispheric Security

What A Day · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title:

TL;DR

  • The "dark fleet" of aging oil tankers facilitates the illicit transport of sanctioned oil from countries like Venezuela, Russia, and Iran, enabling these nations to circumvent international sanctions and fund their economies.
  • The US is actively seizing Venezuela-linked tankers to disrupt this shadow market, aiming to legitimize Venezuela's oil industry and redirect its exports to Western markets, thereby exerting geopolitical influence.
  • Russia's deep involvement in Venezuela's state-run oil company suggests that disentangling its influence may prove more challenging for the US than anticipated, potentially complicating efforts to stabilize Venezuela.
  • The close relationship between Venezuela and Cuba, particularly Venezuela's oil supply, has propped up the Cuban regime, and US efforts to choke off these oil flows could precipitate Cuba's economic collapse.
  • The US views the presence of adversaries like Russia and China in the Western Hemisphere, particularly through economic and infrastructure partnerships in Venezuela, as a significant hemispheric security threat.
  • Russia's use of hypersonic missiles in Ukraine signals a willingness to strike aggressively near NATO borders, aiming to intimidate Ukraine, the EU, and NATO with its advanced military capabilities.

Deep Dive

The United States is actively targeting a global black market for sanctioned oil, primarily involving Venezuela, Russia, Iran, and China, through aggressive seizure of oil tankers. This campaign aims to cripple the economies of these nations, particularly Russia's funding of its war in Ukraine, and to re-establish Western influence in Venezuela's oil sector for the benefit of U.S. interests and a new Venezuelan government.

The "dark fleet" or "shadow fleet" operates by employing deceptive practices such as false flagging, concealing locations, and ship-to-ship transfers to launder oil from sanctioned countries. Venezuela, a key player in this network, provides discounted oil that Russia, a primary architect of the fleet, uses to fund its geopolitical ambitions, including the war in Ukraine. Russia's deep involvement in Venezuela's oil infrastructure suggests that disentangling these ties will be challenging for the U.S. The U.S. views this effort not just as an economic maneuver but as a critical hemispheric security issue, aiming to prevent adversaries from gaining a foothold in the Western Hemisphere. The seizure of tankers like the Olena and the pursuit of the Bella One (later Marinera) underscore the U.S. commitment to disrupting this illicit trade and asserting control over Venezuela's energy resources. The potential collapse of Cuba, heavily reliant on Venezuelan oil for its regime's survival, is a significant downstream implication of these U.S. actions.

Action Items

  • Audit tanker registration: Verify ownership and flag changes for 5-10 vessels involved in sanctioned oil trade.
  • Track 3-5 dark fleet tankers: Monitor ship-to-ship transfers and route deviations to identify illicit oil laundering patterns.
  • Analyze 2-3 sanctions evasion tactics: Document methods used by dark fleet vessels (e.g., false flagging, location concealment) for risk assessment.
  • Measure impact of US blockade: Quantify changes in dark fleet activity and Venezuela's oil exports before and after US intervention.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"The Olena is the fifth Venezuela-linked tanker seized by US forces under President Trump and the third since the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier last week. The US seized a ship near Iceland following a slow chase across the Atlantic Ocean. That ship, the Bella One, was renamed the Marinera and started flying the Russian flag after US forces first tried to board it back in December."

This quote highlights the pattern of US seizures of oil tankers linked to Venezuela, emphasizing the frequency and the deceptive tactics employed by these vessels, such as renaming and reflagging. Shelby Holliday explains that these actions are part of a larger effort to disrupt a global black market for sanctioned oil.

"So why all these sneaky name changes? The Bella One, or Marinera, or whatever you want to call it, was part of a global black market that transports sanctioned oil between countries like Russia, Iran, China, and Venezuela. According to the Wall Street Journal, 70% of Venezuela's oil exports travel on the aging oil tankers that make up the so-called dark fleet."

Shelby Holliday explains that the renaming and reflagging of ships are tactics used within a global black market for transporting sanctioned oil. She notes that a significant portion of Venezuela's oil exports relies on this "dark fleet," indicating the scale of this illicit trade.

"So you can almost think of it as two different oil markets. There's a Westernized market that uses oil tankers that have insurance and they're legitimately registered and they transport oil around the world. And then there is this shadow fleet. And the shadow fleet transports oil that is sanctioned and illicit, and it carries it to global oil markets, but it does so in a very shady way."

Shelby Holliday distinguishes between legitimate and illicit oil markets, describing the "shadow fleet" as a mechanism for transporting sanctioned and illegal oil. She details that this fleet operates through deceptive practices to obscure the origin and destination of the oil.

"It exists to help countries like Iran and Russia move their oil. These countries have tremendous oil resources, but they face sanctions. And so in order to export that oil and power their economies, they offload the oil onto these ships, and then the ships go launder it, ship-to-ship transfers, shady destinations, and that's how these countries sell their oil. And in Russia's case, it's how Russia funds its war in Ukraine."

Shelby Holliday explains that the shadowy oil market serves as a crucial channel for sanctioned countries like Iran and Russia to export their oil. She details how this process involves laundering the oil through ship-to-ship transfers and clandestine destinations, which is vital for their economies and, in Russia's case, for funding its military actions.

"The US does view that as a threat, especially the Trump administration's very open about the fact that the Western Hemisphere is ours. We don't want you here. We're hearing that messaging more and more clearly now that Maduro is out."

Shelby Holliday points out that the US perceives the involvement of countries like Russia and China in Venezuela's economy as a security threat. She highlights the Trump administration's assertive stance on the Western Hemisphere, indicating a desire to exclude foreign adversaries from the region.

"I think if you look at the Trump administration's plans for Venezuela, and you know, there are a lot of questions about whether those plans will be implemented or go smoothly, but the goal is to legitimize Venezuela's oil industry. And in order to do that, by the way, the US is going to control the oil so that the new government, the interim government, and the country will do whatever the US wants it to do."

Shelby Holliday discusses the Trump administration's objective to legitimize Venezuela's oil industry, with the US playing a controlling role. She suggests that this control is intended to ensure that the interim government aligns with US interests and that the oil revenue benefits the US and the Venezuelan people, not the former regime.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "The Washington Post" - Mentioned in relation to reporting on Venezuela asking Russia and China for military support.

Articles & Papers

  • "The Wall Street Journal" - Mentioned as the source for Shelby Holliday's reporting on the "dark fleet" and geopolitical issues.
  • "Politico" - Mentioned as the source for information on President Trump being briefed on options for Iran.

People

  • Jane Coaston - Host of "What a Day" podcast.
  • Kirsten Nielson - Secretary of Homeland Security, mentioned for her comments on the Olena tanker seizure and the death of Renee Gude.
  • Nicolas Maduro - Former Venezuelan president, mentioned in relation to US seizure of tankers.
  • Shelby Holliday - Senior video producer and journalist for The Wall Street Journal, interviewed about the "dark fleet" and Venezuela's oil trade.
  • Donald Trump - President of the United States, mentioned regarding his desire for Greenland, his stance on Iran, and his proposed cap on credit card interest rates.
  • Renee Gude - Mentioned as a person killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  • Jake Tapper - CNN anchor, mentioned for questioning Kirstjen Nielsen.
  • Bernie Sanders - Vermont independent senator, mentioned in relation to Trump's proposed credit card interest rate cap.
  • Michael Basiq - From the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, discussed hypersonic missiles used by Russia.
  • Angie Hicks - Co-founder of Angie's List.

Organizations & Institutions

  • United States Coast Guard - Mentioned for seizing oil tankers.
  • Department of Homeland Security - Mentioned in relation to statements about the death of Renee Gude.
  • Associated Press - Mentioned as the source for information on the Olena tanker.
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Mentioned in relation to the death of Renee Gude.
  • Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center - Mentioned as the affiliation of Michael Basiq.
  • United Nations Security Council - Mentioned as holding an emergency meeting regarding the war in Ukraine.
  • Crooked Media - Production company for "What a Day."
  • Writers Guild of America East - Mentioned as the union for the production staff.
  • Angie's List - Mentioned as a service for homeowners to hire skilled professionals.

Websites & Online Resources

  • Truth Social - Platform where President Trump posted statements about Greenland, Iran, and credit card interest rates.
  • Apple Podcasts - Platform where listeners can leave reviews for "What a Day."
  • YouTube - Platform where "What a Day" can be watched.
  • Zbiotics.com - Website for Zbiotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink, with a discount code "wad."
  • Goldbelly.com - Website for Goldbelly, offering iconic American foods, with a promo code "gift."
  • Greenlight.com - Website for Greenlight, a debit card and money app for families.
  • Greenlight.com/podcast - Specific URL for Greenlight mentioned.
  • Cbs.com - Mentioned as the platform for "Face the Nation."
  • Cnn.com - Mentioned as the platform for Jake Tapper's show.
  • Human Rights Activists News Agency - Mentioned as a source for information on protests in Iran.
  • Politico - Mentioned as the source for information on President Trump being briefed on options for Iran.
  • The Atlantic Council - Mentioned as the affiliation of Michael Basiq.
  • Cbs News - Mentioned as the source for Michael Basiq's comments.
  • Twitter - Platform where Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs made a statement.
  • Crooked.com/subscribe - URL for subscribing to the "What a Day" newsletter.
  • Angie.com - Website for hiring skilled pros.

Other Resources

  • "Dark Fleet" - Term used to describe a global black market for transporting sanctioned oil.
  • "Shadow Fleet" - Alternative term for the "dark fleet."
  • "Right to Visit" rule - Mentioned as a rule allowing the Coast Guard to board vessels.
  • "Kinetic boom and non kinetic no boom options" - Options for Iran mentioned to President Trump.
  • "Hypersonic missile" - Type of missile used by Russia in Ukraine.
  • "Avangard missile" - Specific type of hypersonic missile mentioned.
  • "Credit card interest rates" - Topic of a proposed cap by President Trump.
  • "Human bear relations" - Focus of a nonprofit group mentioned in relation to a bear in Los Angeles.
  • "Driving Reports" - Feature of Greenlight Infinity for monitoring teen drivers.
  • "Fix update and renovation" - Types of home projects mentioned in relation to Angie's List.

---
Handpicked links, AI-assisted summaries. Human judgment, machine efficiency.
This content is a personally curated review and synopsis derived from the original podcast episode.