Largest US Fuel Shipment to Cuba Since 1960 Halted

A Florida-based oil trading company has halted plans to send what would have been the largest U.S. fuel shipment to Cuba since 1960, after increased pressure from the Trump administration and the expansion of U.S. sanctions against Cuban entities.

Vanguard Energy said it suspended plans to ship 250,000 barrels of fuel to Cuba after facing what it described as “operational restrictions” beyond the company’s control, according to a statement issued Friday.

Had the shipment proceeded, it would have represented the biggest U.S. fuel supply to Cuba since the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower.

The decision came shortly after the U.S. government added Unión Cuba-Petróleo (Cupet), Cuba’s state-run oil company, to its sanctions blacklist.

The move comes as Cuba faces one of its most severe energy crises in decades, with fuel shortages contributing to widespread electricity disruptions and increasing pressure on the country’s economy.

Vanguard Energy CEO Matthew Klan said recent U.S. government actions targeting Cuban state-linked entities created operational barriers that now affect the company’s ability to arrange future fuel deliveries by tanker.

The company said it had reached an agreement to lease fuel storage facilities in Cuba from a government-linked entity to support distribution to humanitarian groups, embassies and other non-government customers.

The arrangement, however, depended on obtaining all required U.S. approvals.

Vanguard said it had been supplying fuel to Cuba since the beginning of the year in smaller quantities through “iso tank” containers, steel cylinders designed for transport inside standard shipping container structures.

The company emphasized that it had not carried out any unauthorized shipment, payment or transaction involving Cuba and had not violated U.S. sanctions, export controls or trade regulations.

The company also confirmed that Miami-Dade County’s tax collection office reinstated its local business license after it was temporarily revoked following the sanctions against Cupet.

The suspension adds further uncertainty to Cuba’s ability to secure energy supplies as the island continues to struggle with its deepest fuel shortages in years.