US Coast Guard Stops Cargo Ship Grace Bound For Cuba With Fuel

The US Coast Guard intercepted the 91-metre (300-foot) vessel M/V Grace in the Caribbean Sea on 5 Sep 2026, after it was found carrying fuel apparently destined for Cuba. The ship was stopped between Cuba and Mexico, boarded by Coast Guard personnel, and escorted to Progreso, Mexico, where a Mexican Navy team conducted a follow-up inspection. Inspectors found large quantities of fuel stored in the vessel's ballast tanks, along with several containers believed to hold illicit fuel. The Coast Guard said storing fuel in ballast tanks poses a significant risk to the marine environment, and that Grace was using methods commonly associated with the so-called "dark fleet". Officials said the joint US-Mexico operation prevented an unregulated fuel transfer in the Caribbean, warning that concealed cargo and detection-evasion tactics increase the risk of oil spills affecting coastal communities, fisheries and marine ecosystems. Vice Adm. Nate Moore, the Coast Guard's deputy commandant for operations, said illicit fuel shipments violate international law and pose severe environmental threats in the region, stressing the importance of cooperation with partner nations. The agency thanked Mexico for its assistance in the operation. The interception follows the earlier detention of the vessel Jaira Provider, another substandard ship accused of carrying illicit fuel to Cuba. It comes amid tightened US pressure on Havana, including an oil blockade that has worsened fuel shortages and blackouts on the island after Venezuelan and Mexican supplies were disrupted following the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. The Coast Guard has not disclosed the volume of fuel found aboard Grace.