US imposes new Venezuela-related sanctions on 6 shipping vessels

The United States on Tuesday designated six shipping vessels that it says were violating sanctions on Venezuela by transporting the country's petroleum products to Cuba.

"Today, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control identified six vessels as blocked property of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) pursuant to Executive Order 13884, which blocks the property and interests in property of the Government of Venezuela," the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The Treasury identified the six vessels as Icaro, Luisa Caceres de Arismendi, Manuela Saenz, Paramaconi, Terepaima and Yare.

The six tankers were among various vessels loaded with oil that departed from Venezuela to Cuba in the fall this year, according to the Treasury.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA invoiced Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company, for about 1.3 million barrels of fuel delivered earlier in the summer.

The Treasury Department added that the money received from the shipments was to be transferred into a Russian bank account.

Venezuela is experiencing a political and economic crisis that escalated in January after US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself as the country's interim president in a bid to oust leader Nicolas Maduro.

The US and 54 countries have recognised Guaido as Venezuela's leader with Washington imposing sanctions on Venezuela and freezing billions of dollars of the country's assets.

On the other hand, Russia, China, Turkey, Bolivia and numerous other countries recognise Maduro as the sole legitimate president of Venezuela.