Sanctioned Oil Tankers Vanish After Leaving Venezuela

Several oil tankers have left Venezuela using suspicious methods. This follows a tighter U.S. blockade on the country's oil exports. According to shipping reports, some vessels turned off their location transponders after departing. This practice, known as "going dark," hides a ship's route. Other tankers used deceptive paperwork about their destination. The ships involved had recently been under U.S. sanctions. These sanctions are meant to stop Venezuela's oil sales. The tactics suggest attempts to bypass the tightened restrictions. The U.S. government renewed oil sanctions on Venezuela in April. The goal is to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to enact democratic reforms.