The U.S. Coast Guard has detained the Grace, a cargo vessel carrying fuel to Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea.
Sea-news.az reports citing The New York Times, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the detention.
The approximately 91-meter-long vessel was detained on September 5 between Cuba and Mexico. The Coast Guard said that Grace was suspected of using “shadow fleet” tactics.
The agency did not specify what particular actions were involved. According to the newspaper, vessels can conceal their routes by switching off their transponders and stopping the transmission of their location data.
The Coast Guard also said that earlier this summer the United States detained another vessel, the Jaira Provider. According to U.S. claims, the vessel was also carrying fuel to Cuba. It was reportedly carrying approximately 210,000 gallons of fuel.
The amount of fuel aboard Grace has not been disclosed. Coast Guard officials also declined to explain how intelligence information was used to determine that the cargo was destined for Cuba.
The New York Times notes that Cuba is partially self-sufficient in fuel but remains dependent on imports to keep its energy system operating. The country has experienced widespread power outages amid fuel shortages, while hospitals, food supplies and water services have also faced disruptions.
