Unearthing Venezuela's 'Ghost Ships': A Strategy to Evade Oil Sanctions

Wed Dec 17 2025 17:25:34 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Venezuela utilizes a fleet of 'ghost ships' to smuggle oil amid stringent U.S. sanctions, revealing a complex web of maritime deception and the ongoing battle over the nation's oil resources.

Amid stringent U.S. sanctions, Venezuela has turned to a fleet of so-called 'ghost ships'—vessels that change their identities and evade detection—to continue oil exports. This report explores the strategies employed by these ships and the implications for U.S.-Venezuela relations.

In a further escalation of tension between the United States and Venezuela, President Donald Trump has ordered a naval blockade to stop sanctioned oil tankers from entering and leaving the South American country.

Venezuela - which boasts the world's largest proven oil reserves - heavily relies on oil revenues to finance its government spending.

However, U.S. sanctions targeting Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA have made it increasingly challenging for the government to export oil, leading it to resort to a fleet of 'ghost ships'.

As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or approaching the country were under U.S. sanctions, according to data compiled by TankerTrackers.com.

President Trump has announced a total blockade aimed at all sanctioned oil tankers, following the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker linked to these ghost fleets.

Since 2019, when Trump first imposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry, crude exports plummeted. Yet, they have gradually increased again to around 920,000 barrels per day as of November, suggesting that the government's strategies to bypass sanctions, particularly through the ghost fleet, are becoming more effective.

Ghost fleets are not exclusive to Venezuela; countries like Russia and Iran also employ similar tactics. Financial intelligence firms estimate that one in five oil tankers globally engages in smuggling oil from sanctioned nations.

Strategies employed by ghost tankers include frequent name changes and adopting the identities of decommissioned vessels—tactics that complicate tracking efforts. Some of these vessels disable their GPS signaling systems to obscure their movements, raising further suspicions.

The implications of these operations extend beyond the immediate economic concerns, intertwining with geopolitical strategies, which could affect U.S. relations with both Venezuela and its allies. As the U.S. continues to enforce sanctions, the ability of Venezuela to rely on these ghost ships might face increasing scrutiny and disruptions.