{"id":2128292,"date":"2023-12-18T16:32:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T21:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/proof-of-shadow-fleet-as-tanker-runs-aground-how-many-more-are-prowling-the-sea\/"},"modified":"2023-12-18T17:42:37","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T22:42:37","slug":"proof-of-shadow-fleet-as-tanker-runs-aground-how-many-more-are-prowling-the-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/proof-of-shadow-fleet-as-tanker-runs-aground-how-many-more-are-prowling-the-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Evidence of &#8216;Shadow Fleet&#8217; Confirmed as Tanker Grounds &#8211; Countless Others Lurking at Sea?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fproof-of-shadow-fleet-as-tanker-runs-aground-how-many-more-are-prowling-the-sea%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2128292&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Proof of &#8216;Shadow Fleet&#8217; \u2063as Tanker Runs Aground &#8211; How Many More Are Prowling the\u200c Sea?<\/h2>\n<p>Empires produce countless headaches. Sensible Americans have been aware of this for over two centuries.<\/p>\n<p>According \u2062to the Indonesian-language news site <a href=\"https:\/\/ulasan-co.translate.goog\/tanker-berbendera-kamerun-kandas-di-perairan-pulau-asam-karimun\/?_x_tr_sl=auto&#038;_x_tr_tl=en&#038;_x_tr_hl=en&#038;_x_tr_pto=wapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ulasan<\/a>,\u200c the Cameroon-flagged tanker Liberty ran aground \u2062in\u2064 shallow water around \u200dAsam Island south of Singapore on Dec.\u2063 2.<\/p>\n<p>The Liberty is part of a secretive &#8220;shadow fleet,&#8221; a group of tankers that evade international regulations by hiding their whereabouts and transporting goods like\u200d oil from sanctioned nations.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">For the 2nd time in 14 months, yet another Dark Fleet tanker has run aground west of the Singapore Strait. The vessel has\u2064 been identified as LIBERTY (9207027).<\/p>\n<p>According to our research, she\u2019s laden with \u200dnearly a million barrels of Venezuelan fuel\u2064 oil.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JulhoMGgiK\">https:\/\/t.co\/JulhoMGgiK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TankerTrackers\/status\/1732925757146423371?\">December 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2023-12-08\/shadow-fleet-tanker-with-venezuela-oil-grounds-near-singapore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a> reported\u2062 that the Liberty &#8220;had previously falsified \u2064its location to avoid detection\u2062 on digital ship-tracking systems.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, data from vessel-tracking services\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/tankertrackers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TankerTrackers.com<\/a> \u2063 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpler.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kpler<\/a> revealed that \u200cwhile the Liberty loaded oil \u200coff the coast of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/venezuelas-plan-neighboring-country-gets-complicated-us-aircraft-appear-overhead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Venezuela<\/a>, it used &#8220;spoofing&#8221; to deceive digital\u200c tracking systems into thinking it was \u2064near West Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2019,\u200d the U.S. has <a title=\"Russia\u2019s Invasion of Ukraine Is Shaping China\u2019s Plans for Taiwan\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-is-shaping-chinas-plans-for-taiwan\/\">imposed strict sanctions<\/a> on Venezuelan oil to pressure President\u200c Nicolas Maduro&#8217;s regime.<\/p>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/us-easing-venezuela-oil-sanctions-response-election-deal-official-2023-10-18\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reuters<\/a> reported that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/white-house-complains-speaker-johnson-money-ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Biden administration<\/a> eased\u200b those sanctions in October\u2062 after Maduro made a deal \u2064with opposition parties \u200cahead of\u200c the 2024 Venezuelan election.<\/p>\n<p>The timing of the Liberty incident is peculiar, considering it\u200b concealed its presence in\u2064 Venezuelan waters despite the eased oil sanctions.<\/p>\n<p>Maritime experts were well aware of \u200bthe ship&#8217;s existence. Marine Traffic, a vessel-<a title=\"Southwest Airlines Cancels At Least 1,800 Flights Over Weekend, Blames Weather, Air Traffic Control\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/southwest-airlines-cancels-at-least-1800-flights-over-weekend-blames-weather-air-traffic-control\/\">tracking service<\/a>, identified the Liberty as a crude oil tanker flying the Cameroonian flag. As of Monday, the tracking service placed\u2062 the \u200dLiberty&#8217;s current location as \u200c&#8221;INDO &#8211; Singapore Area.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Part of the problem lies in the fact that older &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; vessels pose safety risks.<\/p>\n<p>This month, the International Maritime Organization, the maritime regulation arm of the United\u200b Nations, \u2062called for crackdowns on the &#8220;shadow fleet,&#8221; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/splash247.com\/imo-adopts-shadow-fleet-resolution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Splash247.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>An IMO resolution specifically targeted\u2063 the practice\u200d of concealing identity or evading detection, urging port states to \u200bsubject suspicious ships to enhanced \u2064inspections.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the &#8220;shadow\u200b fleet&#8221; has political implications. Following \u200cRussia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine in \u200cFebruary 2022, Western leaders imposed sanctions \u2063on \u200dRussian oil. In response, Russian President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/kremlin-responds-reports-putin-found-convulsing-floor-amid-medical-emergency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vladimir Putin<\/a> turned to the &#8220;shadow fleet,&#8221; as reported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/cdef936b-852e-43d8-ae55-33bcbbb82eb6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Russian oil expert Craig Kennedy of Harvard&#8217;s Davis Center observed Putin&#8217;s &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; grow to over 100 oil tankers by December 2022.<\/p>\n<p>On the safety front, preventing environmental disasters is a concern for international organizations and port states. Additionally, aging tankers owned \u2062by unscrupulous individuals serve hostile regimes that the U.S. opposes.<\/p>\n<p>One way to avoid these\u200b political complications would be to adopt a more restrained international approach. If the \u2063U.S. did not engage in a proxy war against Russia through \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/hungary-deals-huge-blow-ukraine-blocks-50b-aid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ukraine<\/a>, Putin&#8217;s &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; would not be a U.S. concern.<\/p>\n<p>As Secretary of State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/elites-learned-1-john-quincy-adams-quote-next-veterans-day-best-one-ever\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Quincy Adams<\/a> wisely said in 1821, the U.S. supports &#8220;freedom and independence&#8221; but does not go abroad in search of monsters\u2063 to destroy.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/proof-shadow-fleet-tanker-runs-aground-many-prowling-sea\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Proof of &#8216;Shadow Fleet&#8217; as Tanker Runs Aground -\u2064 How Many More Are Prowling the Sea?<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>How can\u2063 port states substantially increase\u2064 their inspections and\u2062 enforcement actions to\u2063 effectively address the issue of \u200dhidden\u200b tankers and \u200btheir illicit activities?<\/h2>\n<p>Stantially increase their inspections and enforcement actions. This is \u200ca significant step towards addressing the issue of\u2062 these hidden tankers and their illicit activities.<\/p>\n<p>The presence of the &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; \u200b<a title=\"Rubio Blasts Biden: \u2018We Are Headed For Border Chaos\u2019\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rubio-blasts-biden-we-are-headed-for-border-chaos\/\">raises concerns<\/a> about the movement of goods, particularly oil, from sanctioned nations. In the case of the Liberty, it was found to be \u200ccarrying nearly a \u2062million barrels\u200d of Venezuelan fuel oil. This indicates a\u2063 potential violation of the \u200cstrict sanctions\u200b imposed on\u200b Venezuela by the \u200dUnited States. It is alarming to think that these tankers are able to operate under the radar, evading international \u2064regulations and engaging in illicit activities.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the Liberty falsified \u2062its location using spoofing techniques \u200bfurther highlights the sophisticated nature of these operations. By\u2063 misleading\u2064 digital ship-tracking systems, the \u2062tanker was\u200b able to give \u200bthe appearance of being in\u2064 West Africa while loading oil off the coast of Venezuela. This deliberate act of deception \u200bdemonstrates the lengths to which these &#8220;shadow\u200d fleet&#8221; vessels will\u2062 go to avoid detection.<\/p>\n<p>The recent easing\u2064 of \u200csanctions by the Biden administration in response\u2064 to a political\u200c deal made by \u2064the Maduro regime adds another layer of complexity to this situation. While the intention\u200c may have been to \u2064encourage political progress in \u200bVenezuela, it also creates \u200dan opportunity for these hidden \u200btankers to exploit\u200b the relaxed\u2062 restrictions on Venezuelan oil. The incident involving the\u200d Liberty, occurring after \u2064the sanctions were eased, raises questions about the effectiveness of such \u200bmeasures and \u200bthe need for continued \u200bvigilance.<\/p>\n<p>The issue of the\u200c &#8220;shadow\u2063 fleet&#8221; also\u200c highlights safety concerns. As\u2062 older \u2062vessels, \u2064these tankers\u200c may not meet the same safety standards\u200b as newer ships. This puts both\u2062 the crew \u2062members on board and the\u2064 environment at risk. The International\u2064 Maritime Organization&#8217;s resolution calling for crackdowns on\u200d the &#8220;shadow \u200dfleet&#8221; acknowledges these \u2064risks and emphasizes the need \u2063for increased\u200b inspections and enforcement actions \u200bby port states. It is crucial that these measures are \u200cimplemented to ensure\u200b the safety and security \u200cof maritime operations.<\/p>\n<p>In \u200bconclusion, the <a title=\"EU Leaders Agree To Impose Sanctions On Belarus After Forced Flight Diversion\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/eu-leaders-agree-to-impose-sanctions-on-belarus-after-forced-flight-diversion\/\">recent incident involving<\/a> the Liberty\u200c tanker and\u200c its\u2063 inclusion in the &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; exposes the \u200bexistence of a network of hidden tankers \u200dthat evade international regulations. The ability of these vessels \u2063to operate undetected \u2064raises concerns about the\u2062 movement of goods, particularly oil, from sanctioned nations. The falsification of the Liberty&#8217;s location using spoofing techniques\u2062 further highlights\u2064 the sophisticated \u2064nature of these\u2063 operations.\u200d The recent easing of sanctions on Venezuelan oil adds complexity to the situation and necessitates\u200b continued vigilance. The safety risks associated \u2063with \u200colder\u2063 &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; vessels underscore the importance of \u200dincreased inspections and enforcement actions. \u2062It is imperative that port\u200c states take \u2062decisive measures to address this issue \u2063and ensure the safety and security of \u200dmaritime operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Empires bring countless troubles. Wise Americans have understood this for over 200 years. As per Ulasan, the Cameroon-flagged ship Liberty got stuck in shallow waters near Asam Island, south of Singapore, on Dec. 2. The Liberty is part of an illegal &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; of tankers that dodge global regulations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2056,"featured_media":2128293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Evidence of &#8216;Shadow Fleet&#8217; Confirmed as Tanker Grounds &#8211; Countless Others Lurking at Sea?","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2128292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Evidence of &#8216;Shadow Fleet&#8217; Confirmed as Tanker Grounds &#8211; Countless Others Lurking at Sea?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2128292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2056"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2128292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2128292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2128293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2128292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2128292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2128292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}