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The 'Jasper', sanctioned by the EU for belonging to the so-called "ghost fleet" used by Russia to transport oil,was due to arrive in the port of Matanzas with 300,000 barrels of Russian crude oil on Dec 23, 2025. The arrival of the tanker on the island comes just days after the United States intensified its naval blockade against sanctioned vessels carrying Venezuelan oil, resulting in the seizure of three tankers in the past ten days. Russia last week demanded explanations from the United States regarding the seizure of a tanker in waters near Venezuela, a measure announced the day before as part of an operation against drug trafficking and oil smuggling. The tanker is linked to the Turkish company Beks Tanker Isletmeciligi AS, one of the country's leading operators, which transported hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil and Russian derivatives in 2023. Since March 2024, the tanker has been operated by the Turkish company Sand Gemi Isletmeciligi AS. Eight tankers belonging to these companies were operated by Beks Tanker in 2023 and early 2024, while another was managed by a previously sanctioned subsidiary, which served as the basis for imposing the measures. On May 20, the European Union officially imposed sanctions on the 'Jaspe'r because it had contributed to the Kremlin's revenues supporting the invasion of Ukraine. It was noted that the ship employed “high-risk irregular shipping practices,” which constitutes a violation of the International Maritime Organization’s regulations. Switzerland joined the sanctions in June, and the United Kingdom followed suit in July. The arrival of Russian crude oil in Cuba coincidef with the arrival of two other shipments from Mexico, transported by vessels managed by GAESA, the Cuban Armed Forces’ conglomerate. The 'Ocean Mariner' was scheduled to arrive in Havana on Dec 22,, while the Eugenia Gas esd expected in Moa later that week. Both ships had loaded fuel at the Pajaritos petrochemical plant, owned by the Mexican state-owned company PEMEX, and were carrying approximately 80,000 barrels.