The informal “ghost fleet” of Venezuelan supertankers that once dodged sanctions has begun to re-emerge out of hiding after the capture of Nicolás Maduro and increasing U.S. efforts to control Venezuela’s oil exports — turning back on transponders and revealing their positions at sea.
Under heavy U.S. sanctions, many of these tankers operated with disabled tracking systems and hidden routes to avoid interdiction, helping Venezuela export oil despite embargoes.
It shows both the limits of clandestine shipping tactics and the intensified geopolitical pressure the U.S. is applying to reclaim control of Venezuelan oil flows, which could reshape global crude markets and trade routes.