A 27-year-old crude oil tanker believed to have been scrapped in 2021 is expected to arrive in Venezuelan waters later this week, according to shiptracking data, underscoring how the sanctions-hit South American nation continues to keep its oil exports flowing through increasingly covert means.
The vessel, identifying itself as Freesia I, is suspected to be a so-called “zombie ship” — a tanker that has assumed the identity of a dismantled vessel to conceal its true movements and ownership. Such tactics are commonly used by ships involved in transporting sanctioned oil, allowing them to evade monitoring by obscuring cargo origins and sailing routes.
Venezuela’s oil industry, once among the world’s largest, has been severely weakened by years of underinvestment and sweeping US-led sanctions. Despite this, the country has continued to export crude, largely to China, relying on a network of aging, opaque tankers that form a maritime lifeline for the economy and for President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
So far this year, Venezuela has exported close to 900,000 barrels per day, according to analytics firm Kpler — far below historical levels, but enough to provoke an aggressive response from Washington. The Trump administration has intensified enforcement measures, moving beyond financial sanctions toward direct maritime intervention.
“Venezuela has been remarkably effective at masking both the origin and ownership of crude and therefore at evading financial and trade-related controls,” said Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at Kpler. “That’s why Washington has increasingly shifted from purely financial measures to physical disruption.”
US forces have struck suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and, since early December, have chased or boarded three tankers operating near Venezuelan waters — including one vessel that was not previously sanctioned. The actions mark a significant escalation. US officials say the campaign is designed to deter illicit activity and signal continued pressure on the Maduro administration. President Donald Trump has also stated that any seized crude would be retained by the United States.
“While the US has sanctioned numerous vessels and organizations, it hasn’t stemmed the flow,” said Mark Douglas, a maritime domain analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence. “Physical boarding is the next step. It’s a signal that falsifying locations and documentation is no longer a shield — it’s now what makes you a target.”
Venezuela is believed to rely on nearly 400 vessels from a global “dark fleet” estimated at around 1,500 ships, according to TankerTrackers.com. These vessels are often old, uninsured, and owned by shell companies, and they routinely employ deceptive practices such as signal spoofing — broadcasting false locations — or turning off transponders altogether.
The tanker identifying as Freesia I was seen at Venezuela’s José oil-export terminal in early May. Its most recent voyage began in Southeast Asia in November, when it signaled an arrival at Venezuela’s Amuay port on December 26, likely to load cargo. The vessel later changed its destination to “High Sea” before switching off its transponder earlier this week off the coast of French Guiana.
Spoofing has also been documented in other recent cases. The tanker Skipper, the first Venezuelan-linked vessel seized by US forces this month, was broadcasting signals suggesting it was idling off Guyana. However, satellite imagery reviewed by Bloomberg News showed the ship docked at José port in mid-November, indicating deliberate manipulation of its tracking data.
At the time of its seizure, Skipper claimed to be sailing under Guyana’s flag — a claim later disputed by the Guyanese government. Ships are required to register under a national flag, which carries responsibility for enforcing safety and crew welfare standards. Many dark fleet vessels rely on flags of convenience or false registrations to avoid inspections and scrutiny.
With limited financial capacity and an aging domestic fleet, Venezuela depends heavily on foreign-provided tankers operating in the shadows. As sanctions enforcement intensifies and physical interdictions increase, the risks for operators in this murky network continue to rise — even as they remain central to keeping Venezuelan oil moving onto global markets.
