Russian tanker idles near Venezuela after US warship enters path

A sanctioned Russian oil tanker made a U-turn on the way to Venezuela after a US warship intersected its route near the country’s coast, according to Bloomberg tanker tracking, raising questions about whether Washington could step in to curtail Moscow’s energy aid to Caracas.

The Russian vessel, the Seahorse, was en route to Venezuela to deliver a fuel cargo on Nov. 13 when a US destroyer, the USS Stockdale, positioned itself in its path. The Russian vessel changed course, heading toward Cuba, and the warship sailed near Venezuelan territorial waters toward Puerto Rico. The Seahorse has since tried to approach Venezuela twice, but turned back both times, and remains idling in the Caribbean.

The warship’s intentions with regard to the Russian vessel is unclear, and a spokesperson for US Southern Command declined to comment on the ship’s movements. The USS Stockdale arrived in the Caribbean in late September, along with a dozen other warships, to support President Donald Trump’s anti-narcotics operations in the region.

The Seahorse, meanwhile, is under sanctions from the UK and European Union and is one of four Russian vessels that delivers a fuel called naphtha to sanctioned Venezuela. The tanker had discharged a cargo in late October, traveled to Cuba, and was heading back toward Venezuela when the US ship showed up in its path. Its movements since then have been unusual, as Russian fuel vessels typically don’t make U-turns or idle on the well-trod trading route between Cuba and Venezuela.