By Jonathan Saul and Marianna Parraga
LONDON/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Iranian fuel that the United States seized last month while it was being transported to Venezuela is now being taken to Texas by two tankers due to arrive in coming days, part of Washington’s efforts to disrupt trade between Caracas and Tehran, according to sources and data.
The first fuel cargo, on Liberia-flagged tanker Euroforce, was to arrive in Texas in the coming 24 hours, the sources said. It is broadcasting the U.S. Gulf port of Galveston as destination, according to shipping data on Refinitiv Eikon.
The second cargo on Singapore-flagged tanker Maersk Progress tanker, is expected to arrive on Sep 19 to Houston port, the Eikon data showed.
Eurotankers and Maersk Tankers, which manage the two vessels, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment.
The U.S. announced in August that it had confiscated 1.1 million barrels of Iranian fuel bound for Venezuela. The sources said the four tankers originally carrying the fuel had transferred their cargoes onto the two vessels, which had special permits to enter into the U.S. waters to deliver the cargoes.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul in London, Marianna Parraga in Mexico City, Devika Krishna Kumar in New York, Humeyra Pamuk and Timothy Gardner in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)
