US Coast Guard says it intercepted a ship carrying fuel to Cuba — The Guardian

The US Coast Guard said it intercepted the cargo ship Grace in the Caribbean Sea, which, according to its information, was heading to Cuba with fuel. The vessel was stopped on September 5 between Cuba and Mexico, The Guardian reports.

The vessel was taken to Mexico

The US service claims that Grace used methods typical of the so-called shadow fleet to avoid detection by authorities. A Coast Guard team boarded the vessel and escorted it to Mexico.

There, an inspection group from the Mexican Navy, according to the US Coast Guard, confirmed the presence of significant volumes of fuel in the ballast tanks. The vessel was also carrying several containers which, the US service believes, may have contained illegal fuel.

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Operation details

According to the publication, citing The New York Times, Grace is 91 metres long. The US Coast Guard did not specify how it determined that the fuel was intended for Cuba and did not disclose the volume aboard.

The administration of President Donald Trump has openly stated its desire to change Cuba's government. According to the publication, the oil embargo imposed by the United States this year has increased pressure on the country, which is facing fuel shortages, power outages and infrastructure problems.