U.S. Coast Guard Says It Seized Ships With Thousands of Gallons of Oil Headed For Cuba

CUBA – The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Friday the seizure of two ships bound for Cuba that were illegally carrying thousands of gallons of diesel fuel amid the ongoing fuel blockade to the country imposed by president Donald Trump.

The “grace,” a 300-foot tanker, was seized on September 5 by the coast guard and Mexican authorities in the Caribbean sea between Cuba and Mexico. Another ship, carrying 200,000 gallons of fuel, was seized by the coast guard in June.

The interdictions come as Cuba faces fuel shortages and recurring failures of its electrical system. Cuban authorities have said the country stopped receiving oil in January following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.