Sea-Horse

On Feb 25, the 'Sea Horse', carrying 200,000 barrels of diesel to Cuba, has entered the Old Bahama Channel, the most dangerous area because it is narrow, heavily patrolled, and part of the de facto exclusion zone imposed by the USA. Upon entering the Old Bahama Channel, the vessel was within range of U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft operating from bases in Jacksonville and Key West. The vessel has entered "dark sailing." Although its last reported AIS signal was less than 24 hours ago, the update frequency has dropped drastically. It is located approximately 300 nautical miles northeast of Cuba's eastern coast. The 'Sea Horse' stopped its voyage and was currently adrift in the North Atlantic. As of March 2, the status was NUC in pos. 30° 29' N 053° 55' W. As of March 3, the tanker has diverted from its direct path to Cuba. After idling as "Not Under Command" in the Atlantic, the vessel was now moving away from the island as the USS"Southern Spear" blockade intensified. With the ship still at full draught, 200k barrels of vital diesel remained undelivered. Despite rumors, Russian officials have denied active naval escort for this specific transit. Before, there were reports of Coast Guard movements in the Bahamas area to visually identify the vessel, given that its AIS was being manipulated or intermittently turned off. Havana is maintaining complete administrative silence regarding the ship so as not to give away its docking point (Matanzas remains the most likely destination due to its rapid unloading infrastructure). The critical period was from Feb 27 to March 1. If the vessel managed to cross the Bahamas Strait without being boarded, it will enter Cuban territorial waters, where the U.S. could no longer legally intervene without a direct violation of sovereignty. The window of March 2-4 remained the likely time of arrival. The denial of a Russian escort by the Embassy in Havana on Feb 23 left the 'Sea Horse' alone on its voyage. There were no Russian warships protecting it at this time. The US Navy ships in the area were including the USS 'Stockdale'. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer has been tracking the 'Sea Horse' since it left the vicinity of Venezuela and was now in the Caribbean Basin/Bahamas area. It has already physically blocked the passage of tankers in previous weeks. The USS 'Truxtun' was recently reported in the area after arriving from Norfolk. The USS 'Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)', although a large aircraft carrier, has deployed its carrier strike group to the Caribbean region to provide radar coverage and mass air surveillance using E-2D Hawkeye aircraft. The USS 'San Antonio' and the USS 'Fort Lauderdale' are amphibious transport ships serving as mobile platforms for boarding operations and tactical response teams. Coast Guard cutters are responsible for conducting boarding operations in international waters under the 2026 Emergency Order. The USCGC 'Stone', the most advanced Coast Guard cutter in the fleet, has been seen specifically patrolling the Windward Passage (between Cuba and Haiti) to close the southern route to Santiago de Cuba and Matanzas.

The 'Sea Horse' was allegedly en route to Cuba carrying ~200,000 barrels of Russian-origin fuel, received in a ship-to-ship transfer with the 'E Pioneer' off the coast of Cyprus, for power generation and transport use, challenging the blockade imposed to the U.S. If confirmed, the shipment could fall under U.S. sanctions review depending on the ownership, the flag, insurers, and cargo documentation. The vessel was transiting the Atlantic and expected to arrive to in early March 2026. The vessel was underway at around nibe knots. Cuba, which relies heavily on imported fuels for electricity generation and transportation, has experienced severe supply constraints since the start of the year.

The US Coast Guard medevaced a 48-year-old man from the "Chembulk New York" 290 miles southwest of Point Loma, San Diego, on Aug 28, 2018. The tanker contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego’s Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Aug 27, requesting assistance for a crew member experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. At the time of the report, the vessel was approximately 370 miles southwest of San Diego. The vessel adjusted course toward San Diego to facilitate a medevac. A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched at approximately 10:45 p.m. Monday to assist. Due to the distance from shore, a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27 Spartan crew also launched to provide radio coverage. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Aug 28, the Jayhawk crew arrived on scene and hoisted the man into the helicopter. The crew arrived at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla at approximately 3:30 a.m., and transferred the patient to the hospital’s care. The man was reported to be in stable condition.