A company registered in Cyprus, another in Panama, and two Cuban companies are among the entities linked by the United States to the transportation of oil to and from Cuba, in the sanctions announced on November 5.
Washington linked these companies to five vessels and also sanctioned Guillermo Faustino Rodríguez López-Calleja for his involvement in a network of maritime companies that transport fuel to and from Cuba.
The State Department asserts that the Cuban regime uses intermediaries established outside the island to sustain the movement of crude oil and its derivatives. The four companies were designated under Executive Order 14404, which allows for sanctions against those who operate or have operated in the Cuban energy sector.
The companies of Cyprus and Panama and their connections with Cuba
Caroil Transport Marine Ltd., based in Cyprus, commercially manages three tankers identified by U.S. authorities: Esperanza, Gloria C, and María Cristina. The company had already been sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury on September 24, 2019, so the decision made in November adds a new legal basis to previous restrictions.
The official records of the OFAC identify Caroil with an address in Limassol, Cyprus, and another in the Havana neighborhood of Miramar. The update from November 5 also includes the alternative name Frisian Faith Shipping Company Limited. This data helps identify the sanctioned entity, but does not, by itself, establish who its ultimate beneficiaries are.
The second foreign company is Tentacool Commercial Inc., based in Panama. The Department of State identifies it as the registered owner of the Gloria C, while attributing the commercial management of the same vessel to Caroil. The distinction is important: the company listed as the owner of a ship does not have to be the one managing its commercial operations.
In Cuba, Internacional Marítima S.A. is listed as the registered owner of the Esperanza, whose commercial manager is Caroil. The other sanctioned entity, Petróleos Marítimos del Caribe S.A. (Petromarca), manages and operates two vessels flying the Cuban flag: Emilia and Lourdes. According to Washington, Petromarca is the registered owner of the Emilia and the commercial manager of both.
The sanctions also extended to Guillermo Faustino Rodríguez López-Calleja, identified by the United States as a member of an extensive network of shipping companies dedicated to the transportation of petroleum products. The statement does not specify the ownership ties of the sanctioned individual with each of the four designated companies.
Five identified vessels and the effects of the sanctions
The list includes Esperanza (IMO 9289166), Gloria C (9540273), María Cristina (9502453), Emilia (9242209), and Lourdes (9259692). The IMO numbers identify each vessel even if they change name or flag, which is particularly important for tracking their maritime registrations.
Not everyone was newly added to the sanctions lists. Esperanza and María Cristina had already been identified as blocked property in 2019, while Emilia and Gloria C were added in the update on November 5, 2026.
The OFAC also updated the records of previously sanctioned vessels. The tanker Lourdes, previously identified as Giralt under a Panamanian flag, is now listed under a Cuban name and flag. The same applies to María Cristina, formerly known as Carlota C. The maritime identification numbers allow verification that these are indeed the same vessels despite the changes.
The sanctions involve the blocking of the assets and properties of designated individuals and companies located in the United States or under the control of U.S. citizens and entities. They also prohibit, unless authorized or exempted, engaging in commercial or financial transactions that involve those assets.
The restrictions may extend to other companies that, even if not explicitly listed, are 50% or more owned, individually or jointly, by sanctioned persons or entities.
Additionally, the Department of the Treasury expanded the possibility of imposing sanctions on foreign companies that operate or have operated in the Cuban sectors of electronics, manufacturing, maritime transport, and technology.
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