Credit: U.S. Department of The Treasury / U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Tuesday designated four companies for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy.  Additionally, OFAC identified four vessels as blocked property. 

“The illegitimate Maduro regime has enlisted the help of maritime companies and their vessels to continue the exploitation of Venezuela’s natural resources for the regime’s profit. The United States will continue to target those who support this corrupt regime and contribute to the suffering of the Venezuelan people.”

– Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin

The Treasury Department said the United States “reiterates that the exploitation of Venezuela’s oil assets for the benefit of the illegitimate regime of President Nicolas Maduro is unacceptable”, and those that facilitate such activity risk losing access to the U.S. financial system.

LIST OF THE COMPANIES/VESSELS BLACKLISTED:

• AFRANAV MARITIME LTD is based in the Marshall Islands and is the registered owner of the vessel ATHENS VOYAGER.
  • ATHENS VOYAGER is a Panamanian flagged crude oil tanker (IMO: 9337391) that has continued to lift oil cargoes from Venezuelan ports as recently as mid-February 2020.
• SEACOMBER LTD is based in Greece and is the registered owner of the vessel CHIOS I.
  • CHIOS I is a Maltese flagged crude oil tanker (IMO: 9792187) that has continued to lift oil cargoes from Venezuelan ports as recently as mid to late February 2020.
• ADAMANT MARITIME LTD is based in the Marshall Islands and is the registered owner of the vessel SEAHERO.
  • SEAHERO is a Bahamian flagged crude oil tanker (IMO: 9315642) that has continued to lift oil cargoes from Venezuelan ports as recently as late February 2020.
• SANIBEL SHIPTRADE LTD is based in the Marshall Islands and is the registered owner of the vessel VOYAGER I.
  • VOYAGER I is a Marshall Islands flagged crude oil tanker (IMO 9233789) that has continued to lift oil cargoes from Venezuelan ports as recently as late April 2020.

As a result of today’s action by  OFAC, all property and interests in property of these entities that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.

The US is backing opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who last year declared himself interim president. The US has sought to increase financial pressure on Venezuela by blacklisting companies operating in its sanctioned oil sector, including  a subsidiary of Russia’s state-controlled Rosneft oil giant.