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A tanker with cargo entered the bay of Matanzas, in western Cuba, this Monday and docked near the city's energy logistics port amid the ongoing energy blockade by the United States against the island, as confirmed by the agency EFE.
The ship Nicos I.V., with IMO identification code 9103843, is flying the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and measures 183 meters in length.
Although it appears to be partially loaded and has the capacity for more than 300,000 barrels, the type and quantity of fuel it is carrying remain unknown, emphasized EFE.
If it were to come from a port outside of Cuba, it would be the first tanker to dock on the island since the Ocean Mariner on January 9, which arrived from Mexico with about 85,000 barrels.
The ship tracking platforms had not registered the Nicos I.V. in a Cuban port in recent weeks, although it is possible that the vessel had been operating in the island's waters without disclosing its position, the news agency emphasized.
Nicos I.V. is not sanctioned by the United States but holds active watch status due to a previous environmental crime and for having been linked in the past to the so-called energy bridge between Venezuela and Cuba.
According to U.S. legal documents, the oil tanker belongs to the Greek shipping company Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises, a company established for the management of this vessel, while its technical and commercial management is handled by the Greek company Oceanic Shipmanagement Corp.
On the western shore of Matanzas Bay lies one of Cuba's strategic energy logistics complexes, featuring the country's largest supertanker base and the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, one of the island's main facilities.
That facility suffered a fire in August 2022, which is considered the largest industrial disaster in recent history of the country, resulting in 17 fatalities and damaging four of its eight storage tanks, each with a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters. Recovery efforts are currently ongoing.
The United States established an oil embargo on Cuba starting in January by shutting off the supply of Venezuelan crude and subsequently announcing, through an executive order, tariffs on countries that supply oil to the island.
Cuba produces only one third of the approximately 110,000 barrels per day that it requires, EFE recalled.
The consequence of the oil siege has been an increase in blackouts, fuel shortages at gas stations, and growing difficulties across multiple sectors due to reliance on energy sources.
The Cuban government has activated an emergency plan that includes minimal services in healthcare and transportation, the suspension of in-person university classes, telecommuting, restricted hours in state offices, and severe fuel rationing.
Maritime platforms detail the route and dates of the Nicos I.V.
According to public records from MarineTraffic and VesselFinder, the Nicos I.V. (IMO 9103843) is a chemical products tanker built in 2002, measuring 183 meters in length and 32 meters in breadth, sailing under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and classified as an Oil/Chemical Tanker.
Both platforms show Matanzas, Cuba (CUQMA) as the destination and currently report it as docked.
The arrival time listed is February 16, 2026, at 11:22 AM (UTC-5).
The visible history also shows a departure from Cienfuegos Anchorage dated August 18, 2025, at 19:48 (UTC-5), although this record corresponds to an earlier movement and not necessarily to the immediate route prior to its arrival in Matanzas.
Additionally, the technical data indicates a reported draft of 8.2 meters at the time of the last record.
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