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Story summary
- On January 7, 2026, the United States seized two oil tankers tied to a "ghost fleet" transporting oil from Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.
- One tanker had evaded capture for weeks and carried up to two million barrels of Venezuelan crude.
- Ghost fleet vessels use deceptive tactics such as changing names and flags to obscure identities.
- They operate under opaque ownership structures.
- They transfer oil at sea to avoid detection.
