In mid-December, US President Donald Trump ordered a blockade targeting all oil tankers that had been sanctioned and were heading to or operating in connection with Venezuela. This move came weeks before the dramatic operation carried out by US forces in the early hours of Saturday morning, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Despite the restrictions imposed by Washington, shipping documents reviewed by Reuters, along with information from industry sources such as the monitoring firm TankerTrackers.com, indicate that roughly a dozen oil tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude oil and refined fuel products have departed Venezuelan waters since the beginning of the year, apparently defying the US-imposed export blockade.
Trump reiterated on Saturday that the oil embargo against Venezuela remained fully in effect even after Maduro was removed and taken into custody. Nevertheless, shipping data showed that all of the vessels that left the country are already under US sanctions, and most of them are now navigating international waters without any recognized national flag or valid ship safety certifications. According to TankerTrackers.com and shipping records from Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA, around half of these vessels are very large crude carriers, or supertankers, which are traditionally used to transport Venezuelan heavy crude oil to China.
It was not immediately clear whether these shipments had received any form of approval or tacit permission from US authorities. Trump also stated on Saturday that Venezuela’s major oil buyers, including China, would continue to receive Venezuelan oil, adding further uncertainty about how strictly the blockade would be enforced in practice.
A US official told Reuters on Monday that the so-called “quarantine” of vessels was still in place and was specifically focused on tankers that were under sanctions. However, the official declined to provide further details or clarification regarding the ships that had already departed Venezuelan waters. Meanwhile, the White House, the US State Department, PDVSA, and Venezuela’s oil ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Based on agreements negotiated with PDVSA and satellite imagery analyzed by TankerTrackers.com, the tankers that left Venezuela are estimated to be carrying a combined total of about 12 million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude oil and fuel oil. Their final destinations remain uncertain. When these ships were initially loaded in December, most of them were reportedly intended for Asian markets. However, they had remained anchored or idle in Venezuelan waters for weeks due to the US blockade.
In addition to these loaded tankers, a separate group of three smaller vessels, which were also under sanctions, departed Venezuela after completing domestic voyages or unloading imported products, including Russian naphtha. TankerTrackers.com reported that at least four of the departing tankers exited Venezuelan waters on Saturday by taking a route north of Margarita Island, briefly stopping near the country’s maritime boundary before continuing their journeys.
According to three sources familiar with the relevant paperwork, Venezuelan authorities cleared at least four supertankers to leave the country operating in “dark mode.” This means the vessels switched off their satellite tracking systems, a tactic commonly used by tankers transporting sanctioned oil from countries such as Venezuela, Iran, and Russia in order to avoid detection.
A PDVSA source confirmed that some shipments had managed to leave despite the significant risks involved, noting that while the departures were authorized, continuing to use that route would likely not be possible in the future. The source added that PDVSA’s board of directors was expected to receive guidance and make key decisions regarding exports during a planned meeting later on Monday with interim president and oil minister Delcy RodrÃguez.
Separately, US oil major Chevron resumed operations in Venezuela after the holiday period. According to shipping data and a source familiar with the matter, Chevron recalled its employees and restarted exports of Venezuelan oil to the United States on Monday following a four-day suspension. Chevron is currently the only company authorized by Washington to export Venezuelan crude, having received exemptions from both the broader embargo and specific sanctions. One tanker chartered by Chevron is now transporting approximately 300,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude to refineries along the US Gulf Coast.
Chevron’s ability to continue operating in Venezuela stands in sharp contrast to the situation faced by PDVSA. In recent years, Chevron has become PDVSA’s most important joint-venture partner amid Venezuela’s prolonged political and economic crisis. By comparison, PDVSA’s exports effectively came to a standstill last week as a direct result of the blockade, forcing the company to begin cutting oil production over the weekend. With onshore storage facilities full and ships already loaded, PDVSA had very limited capacity to store additional crude.
Before the recent departures, more than 20 million barrels of oil intended for export were reportedly stranded aboard ships, according to TankerTrackers.com. Oil exports remain Venezuela’s primary source of income, and the government—now led by Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy RodrÃguez—relies heavily on export revenues to fund public spending and stabilize the country’s fragile economy.
On Monday, Venezuela’s National Assembly reappointed Jorge RodrÃguez as its president, and Delcy RodrÃguez was formally sworn in as interim president following Maduro’s detention. Trump told reporters on Sunday that he could authorize further military action against Venezuela if the country’s authorities fail to cooperate with US efforts aimed at opening up Venezuela’s oil industry and curbing drug trafficking. At present, the majority of Venezuelan oil exports continue to be directed toward China.
