U.S. Accused of Enacting First Effective Blockade on Cuba, Seizing Tankers

The United States’ enforcement actions are sharply constricting fuel deliveries to Cuba, leaving the island “running out of fuel fast” and at risk of a humanitarian crisis, a New York Times analysis published Feb. 20 found. The Times said its conclusion is based on an analysis of shipping data and satellite images compiled by reporters Jack Nicas, who reported from Mexico City, and Christiaan Triebert in New York.

The Times traced specific incidents that underscore the squeeze: “Last week, a tanker linked to Cuba burned fuel for five days to get to the port in Curaçao but then left without cargo, according to ship-tracking data,” and “three days later, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a tanker full of Colombian fuel oil en route to Cuba that had gotten within 70 miles of the island, the data showed.” The paper also reported that the U.S. military has seized ships that had supported Cuba, and that Cuban tankers “have hardly left the island’s shores for months.”

Cuban-focused outlet CiberCuba amplified the movement of one named vessel and the wider stoppage. CiberCuba reported that the oil tanker Ocean Mariner was carrying “over 84,000 barrels of fuel from Colombia” and that, after changing course toward Cuba, it “was followed by American vessels until it reached Dominican waters and subsequently the Bahamas.” The Ocean Mariner also appears in a Times photo caption: “The oil tanker Ocean Mariner at the port of Havana last month. Cuba is facing the United States’ first effective blockade since the Cuban Missile Crisis.” The photo credit reads Yamil Lage/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images.

Policy changes in Washington are a central thread in the reporting. The Times noted that President Donald Trump “pledged to halt any oil headed to Cuba” and that Mr. Trump “signed an executive order last month threatening to impose tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba.” The Times added that the administration “has stopped short of calling its policy a blockade. But it is functioning as one.” CiberCuba reported that countries including Mexico and Venezuela halted shipments after U.S. warnings, and that Venezuela “has ceased sending the more than 26,000 barrels daily that supported part of the Cuban energy system,” a claim CiberCuba tied to the reported January capture of Nicolás Maduro in an operation it said was “authorized by Trump.”

Commentators have framed the interdictions in stark legal and political terms. Journalist Ben Norton summarized the situation as “US military imposing naval blockade, illegally seizing oil tankers to Cuba. Labeled an act of war pushing humanitarian crisis,” a characterization that, the notes show, has been echoed by analysts including Glenn Diesen. The story has drawn public attention online; a New York Times Facebook post about the analysis displayed engagement markers including “155 · 47 comments · 9.8K views” in a screenshot of the post.

Unless Washington issues a clear legal or operational explanation, the combined track record of interceptions, reported seizures, threatened tariffs, and curtailed supplier shipments leaves Cuba’s energy system precarious, the Times analysis warns, with immediate implications for electricity, transport, and essential services on the island.