Regina

Curaçao has detained the 'Regina', which unloaded Venezuelan oil twice in Bullen Bay in January. This was confirmed by the Curaçao Maritime Authority. It was previously discovered that the ship was sailing under a false flag, had disabled its AIS transponder, and has been on a US sanctions list for years. A second tanker carrying Venezuelan oil, the 'Morning Sun' (IMO: 9110183), has also been detained. This ship was moored off the coast of Sint Eustatius and has been detained by Dutch authorities because Sint Eustatius is a special municipality of the Netherlands and not an autonomous country within the Kingdom, like Curaçao. On Jan 15, the 'Regina' was the first tanker to be welcomed by Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas at the Bullen Bay oil terminal, which had been idle for years. A day later, the maritime authority conducted an inspection, which found serious safety deficiencies. Among other things, the lifeboats and the ship's hospital were substandard. Furthermore, doubts arose regarding the ship's flag. The Curaçaoan authorities subsequently contacted the Netherlands. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate confirmed that it had supervisory authority under the Ships Act, a national law, even when it concerns the autonomous Curaçao. Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Netherlands only became aware of the false flag and other violations by the 'Regina' on Jan 21, after the newspaper's inquiries. Nevertheless, after unloading its first cargo of oil in mid-January, the ship was able to sail back to Venezuela unhindered. When the tanker docked again in Bullen Bay on Jan 28, Curaçao intervened. On Jan 29, the 'Regina' was officially detained due to the false flag and defective safety certificates. Further investigations were launched to determine whether a criminal investigation would follow and who will be considered suspects. The website of the joint Caribbean port authorities also stated that the 'Morning Sun' has been detained off the coast of Sint Eustatius. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) confirms that the inspection found so many defects that the ship was no longer allowed to sail safely. Report with photo: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/02/07/olietankers-uit-venezuela-door-nederland-en-curacao-aan-de-ketting-gelegd-a4919777

The 'Regina', which had unloaded Venezuelan oil in the Bullen Bay in Curaçao on Jan 14, 2026, was sailing under a false flag, had its mandatory transponder turned off, and was transporting the oil despite being on the US sanctions list. The tanker, thus violated international maritime regulations. Nevertheless, the vessel,was welcome in Curaçao despite he risks of technical defects, insurance and environmental issues, or uncertainties about the cargo being enormous. The 'Regina' has been on the US sanctions list since 2023 due to the previous transport of sanctioned Iranian oil. The vessel had not transmitted an AIS signal for more than three years. According to the Curaçao Port Authority, the vessel was flying the flag of East Timor, but that country has informed the International Maritime Organization that all registrations under its flag are fraudulent. The MMSI number that the 'Regina' provided to the Curaçao authorities has been "hijacked" and actually belongs to another vessel sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite this, the tanker was welcome in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this was a commercial transaction that fell under Curaçao's autonomous powers and that permission to moor and unload was also Curaçao's responsibility. The oil company 2Bays, wholly owned by the Curaçao government, confirms that oil trader Trafigura has been hired by the US government to market and transport Venezuelan oil, under a license from the US sanctions authority OFAC. The Curaçao Maritime Authority and the harbour master were responsible for admitting ships to the port. Two days after the 'Regina', the tanker 'Volans', another vessel on the US sanctions list, also docked in Bullen Bay. Furthermore, according to the Curaçao Port Authority, the 'Albedo' was also en route from Venezuela to Curaçao. According to the Policy No: TI/027/06/25/IS by the Cincooceanos Marine S.A. from June 10, 2025, the ship owner was the Deinzcilik Ltd. Siketi in Tuzla. Report with photos: https://www.curacao.nu/nieuws/nieuws-curacao-venezuela/84935/eerste-venezolaanse-olietanker-in-bullenbaai-schond-internationale-regels