US Coast Guard seizes Cuba-bound ship carrying ‘large quantities’ of fuel

The US Coast Guard says it intercepted a cargo ship carrying fuel to Cuba as US President Donald Trump's administration continues its oil embargo against the country.

According to the Guardian, the vessel, named Grace, was stopped on September 5 in the Caribbean Sea between Cuba and Mexico.

The Coast Guard said the ship was using methods associated with vessels attempting to evade authorities.

“Grace was transiting to Cuba, carrying fuel, ​and was believed to be employing ‌tactics common amongst the ‌dark fleet,” the Coast Guard said in a statement, according to The Guardian.

US authorities boarded the vessel and escorted it to Mexico, where the Mexican navy inspected the ship and “confirmed the presence of large quantities of fuel in the vessel’s ballast tanks”.

Several containers were also believed to contain illicit fuel.

The interception comes as Cuba faces severe fuel shortages and power blackouts amid the US oil embargo and wider infrastructure problems.

“The high seas ​are not a sanctuary for lawlessness,” Coast Guard commandant Adm Kevin Lunday said.

“Dark fleet ​actors who employ ​deceptive tactics to engage in illicit activities will not evade justice.”