LATIN AMERICA - On December 20, the United States Coast Guard, supported by the Department of War, conducted a pre-dawn operation to board and apprehend the Panama-flagged oil tanker Centuries in international waters east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea.
The vessel had recently loaded crude oil in Venezuela and was en route to Asian markets.
This operation marks the second such interdiction in December, following the seizure of a sanctioned tanker earlier in the month. It aligns with announced U.S. measures targeting vessels associated with Venezuelan oil exports.
The Centuries carried approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude oil. It operated under a false name during loading in Venezuela and is associated with shadow fleet practices.
Unlike the prior interdicted vessel, the Centuries does not appear on U.S. Treasury Department sanctions lists.
This distinction highlights potential expansion of enforcement to non-sanctioned vessels recently involved in Venezuelan trade.
HAVANA - As of 10:43 p.m. EST on August 2, Cuba experienced a total power failure due to a collapse of its electrical grid, according to a U.S. Embassy Havana security alert published August 3, as well as a statement by the Cuban Electric Union on the same day.
CUBA - Cuba’s electrical grid collapsed on July 6, producing a total power failure across the country that began at 12 p.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. Embassy in Havana stated in its security alert.
AMERICAS AND ASIA-PACIFIC - Twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 struck western Venezuela early on June 25, causing building collapses in Caracas and other areas and prompting authorities to announce a state of emergency.
