Russia ships fuel to Cuba using 'spoofing' tactic challenging Trump embargo: reports

The alleged shipments came as senior officials at the State Department told Fox News that, under existing law, there are ways for Cuban companies and citizens to purchase oil, but said the Cuban regime is making that impossible. 

Windward AI first identified the tanker, Sea Horse, as the key vessel in the suspected clandestine oil delivery in its report on March 18.

The firm said the vessel was thought to have transported around 190,000 to 200,000 barrels to Cuba while engaging in behavior consistent with sanctions evasion. Although the vessel is not under sanctions, Windward analysts flagged several suspicious activities.

These included switching off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) during a ship-to-ship transfer near Cyprus - where it likely loaded its cargo - and sailing without Western insurance, both common indicators of sanctions circumvention.

The tanker also repeatedly altered its stated destination, initially signaling Havana before changing to "Gibraltar for orders," a tactic often used to obscure final delivery points.

These movements strongly indicate that the vessel may have completed an unreported delivery to Cuba before resuming normal transmissions.

"The only way for Cuba to fix its energy crisis is to address the root cause of its economic failures: total government control of economic life," a U.S. official told Fox News on March 17.

"The regime must make significant changes, allowing for privatization and for the Cuban people to provide for themselves," they said.

Otherwise, another senior State Department official said Cuba's blackouts have "sadly become common for many years in Cuba - a symptom of the failing regime's incompetence and inability to provide even the most basic goods and services for its people."

"As President Trump has said, what is left of the regime should make a deal and finally let the Cuban people be free and prosperous, with the help of the United States," the official said.

"Cuba right now is in very bad shape. They're talking to Marco," Trump told reporters March 17 before adding that "we'll be doing something with Cuba very soon."