U.S. Coast Guard Intercepts Tanker Ocean Mariner Bound for Cuba, Vessel Alters Course

Observers tracking maritime movements in the Caribbean report that a U.S. Coast Guard cutter intercepted the product tanker Ocean Mariner, leading the vessel to alter course and avoid Cuba, according to maritime monitoring sources. According to ShipAtlas, the Ocean Mariner has remained stationary outside the Dominican Republic since the blocked attempt and is now reporting "for orders" (See map below - the red circle highlights where the blockade took place).

The tanker was heading through the Windward Passage between Hispaniola and Cuba after departing Barranquilla, Colombia on 5 February when it made a sudden U-turn and sailed south of Haiti toward the Dominican Republic, tracking data from ShipAtlas shows.

There is no official U.S. statement on the interception, but the move comes amid heightened U.S. pressure to block oil shipments to Cuba after the United States cut off Venezuelan oil exports to the island in early January. Bloomberg reporting describes Cuba’s energy situation as increasingly dire, with widespread blackouts and dwindling fuel supplies.

The Ocean Mariner, a 13,000-dwt chemical and product tanker registered in Liberia, delivered the last known fuel cargo to Cuba on 9 January, carrying approximately 86,000 barrels of fuel.

U.S. Coast Guard cutters including USCGC Stone are believed to be operating in the Windward Passage region as part of broader maritime security patrols, and are widely reported to have been in proximity when the tanker changed course.

Though no boarding has been reported, the tanker has remained clear of Cuban waters. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid shipments are reaching Cuba from Mexico, including food and other essentials, but oil shipments have not resumed.