MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Panama to sanction tankers intercepted by US

These vessels “failed to respect Panamanian maritime legislation,” Martínez-Acha explained

The Government of Panama will take disciplinary action against several oil tankers registered under its flag targeted by the United States for alleged irregularities, Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha announced Friday. These vessels “failed to respect Panamanian maritime legislation,” he explained.

The initiative was launched by the administration of President José Raúl Mulino following the US interception of the supertanker Centurias in the Caribbean. The ship is suspected of transporting Venezuelan crude in violation of international sanctions.

Preliminary investigations by Panamanian authorities revealed that the Centurias and other vessels utilized classic “shadow fleet” maneuvers to evade detection. Detected irregularities include the deliberate deactivation of satellite tracking systems known as transponders, recent and frequent name changes to the hull, and inconsistencies in documentation. Additionally, unusual behavioral patterns after leaving Venezuelan waters, including “dark” periods during transit have been observed.

“Panama will act to ensure its registry —one of the largest in the world— maintains transparency standards,” Martínez-Acha stated, emphasizing that his country would not allow its flag to be linked to opaque energy trade networks.

As a direct consequence of these violations, the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) is considering the cancellation of naval registration for the offending ships. De-flagging is the most severe administrative sanction Panama can impose, effectively stripping a vessel of its legal right to sail and making it a pariah in international ports.

The case of the Centurias is part of a broader US offensive against clandestine oil shipments. The US Coast Guard has intensified operations in the Caribbean, targeting a network of ships that sustain the trade of sanctioned crude from Venezuela, Iran, and Russia.

In addition to the Centurias, Washington is tracking other vessels, such as the Bella 1, which is reportedly involved in similar sanctions-evasion schemes involving flags of convenience and identity shifting.

As the maritime blockade of Venezuela intensifies under Operation Southern Spear, both the U.S. and Panama have taken drastic steps to dismantle the “shadow fleet.” However, since the US Navy lacks the domestic legal authority to seize civilian merchant ships, all boarding operations are led by the US Coast Guard (USCG), which acts as the lead law enforcement agency.

So far, two major tankers, the Skipper (on Dec. 10) and the Centuries (on Dec. 20), have been placed under US custody, the latter carrying 1.8 million barrels of crude bound for China.