WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned four international shipping companies and four oil tankers, accusing them of operating a “shadow fleet” to help Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro evade sanctions and fund what officials called a “narco-terrorist regime.”
The move, announced on New Year’s Eve by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), targets firms based in China, Hong Kong, and the Marshall Islands. It marks the latest escalation in a pressure campaign intended to choke off the financial resources of the Venezuelan government.
“President Trump has been clear: We will not allow the illegitimate Maduro regime to profit from exporting oil while it floods the United States with deadly drugs,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“The Treasury Department will continue to implement President Trump’s campaign of pressure on Maduro’s regime.”
According to federal officials, the Maduro administration has become increasingly reliant on a global network of “shadow” vessels to bypass long-standing U.S. restrictions on Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the state-run oil giant.
The designated entities include:
Aries Global Investment Ltd., based in China and Hong Kong. Two of its tankers, the Della and the Valiant, were identified as blocked property.
Corniola Limited and Krape Myrtle Co Ltd, both linked to the Panama-flagged tanker Nord Star, which officials say has transported Venezuelan oil.
Winky International Limited, registered in the Marshall Islands and Hong Kong, identified as the owner of the tanker Rosalind (also known as the Lunar Tide).
Under the sanctions, all property and interests of these companies within the United States or in the possession of U.S. persons are frozen. Furthermore, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the sanctioned firms.
Treasury officials emphasized that the sanctions are not merely punitive but are intended to force a change in behavior by increasing the risks for those involved in the Venezuelan oil trade.
“Today’s action further signals that those involved in the Venezuelan oil trade continue to face significant sanctions risks,” the Treasury release stated.
This latest round follows similar actions taken by the Trump administration earlier in December, targeting PDVSA-linked officials and associates. The administration first designated PDVSA in 2019 under Executive Order 13850, characterizing the oil sector as a primary funding mechanism for the regime’s “destabilizing operations.”
