The U.S. Coast Guard says it has concluded the "successful interdiction" of a ship it accuses of carrying fuel to Cuba, at a time when the island's hospitals and power grid are struggling with severe fuel shortages.
In a press release issued on 2 October, the Coast Guard said a tactical team boarded the motor vessel Grace in the Caribbean Sea in early September. The agency said the ship was heading for Cuba, was carrying fuel, and was believed to be using tactics common among the so-called "dark fleet", a term for ships that use deceptive practices to hide their ownership, movements or cargo.
After the boarding, the Coast Guard escorted the Grace to Progreso, Mexico, where a Mexican Navy inspection team confirmed "large quantities of fuel" in the vessel's ballast tanks. The ship was also carrying several containers believed to hold more fuel, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard did not say how much fuel was on board or what kind it was, and it gave no details of the ship's owner, flag or intended recipient in Cuba, according to maritime news site gCaptain. The release does not say what has happened to the vessel or its crew since the inspection.
What the Coast Guard said
The agency said storing fuel in ballast tanks, which are not designed to carry petroleum, is a hazard to the marine environment and raises the risk of spills that could threaten coastal communities, fish stocks and sensitive ecosystems.
"Illicit fuel shipments violate international law and pose severe environmental threats in the Caribbean Sea," said Vice Adm. Nate Moore, the Coast Guard's deputy commandant for operations, who also thanked the Government of Mexico for its help.
"The high seas are not a sanctuary for lawlessness," said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday.
The operation involved the cutters Alert and Charles Sexton, an HC-144 surveillance aircraft, the Tactical Law Enforcement Team South and Southeast District watchstanders. The Coast Guard said it follows the boarding and detention of another vessel, the Jaira Provider, earlier this summer, and described the work as being carried out "in support of U.S. Government policy".
Cuba's fuel crisis
Washington has pursued what is widely described as a fuel blockade of Cuba since the start of the year, including threats of tariffs on countries that supply the island with oil. Power cuts have become routine, lasting up to 20 hours a day in some areas.
In May, the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) and the World Health Organization said more than 100,000 patients in Cuba, including about 11,000 children, were waiting for surgery that had been delayed by electricity and fuel shortages. They warned that blood banks, laboratories, vaccination programmes and maternity care were all being disrupted.
"Staff have to carry water up the stairs while women give birth since pumps don't work," said Edem Wosornu of OCHA.
The Coast Guard's release presents the Grace operation as law enforcement and environmental protection. It does not mention the humanitarian situation in Cuba.
Sources used for this report4 verified links
- U.S. Coast Guard press release: Coast Guard intercepts Motor Vessel Grace (2 Oct 2026)
- gCaptain: U.S. Coast Guard Intercepts 'Dark Fleet' Fuel Shipment to Cuba
- UN News via GlobalSecurity: Blackouts and shortages disrupt healthcare across Cuba (15 May 2026)
- Breaking Belize News: US Coast Guard intercepts fuel-carrying vessel allegedly bound for Cuba
