US Coast Guard Requests Pastoral Support for Shadow Fleet Tanker's Crew

Military and security actions can create hardship for seafarers when ships get caught in the middle of a geopolitical confrontation, as seen all too often in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz in recent years. Interdictions and seizures can cause distress for crewmembers, regardless of the circumstances, and affected seafarers can benefit from care - even aboard shadow fleet tankers, according to Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI). In a recent U.S. seizure of a Venezuela-linked tanker in the Caribbean, SCI was called by the Coast Guard to provide ministry and support for the crew, and the organization responded to help those in need. 

In this particular case, the U.S. Coast Guard learned that the crew aboard the captured tanker was stressed by the situation in which they found themselves. In response, the USCG reached out to SCI and asked if they could provide pastoral support and care. SCI dispatched a chaplain to meet the vessel at sea and provide emotional support for the crew. The composition of the vessel's crew was diverse and reflective of shipping's global nature, including Burmese, Indonesian, Bangladeshi and Chinese nationals. 

"Like our many other global partner organizations, we understand the inherent risks and pressures of life at sea, and situations like this can add an additional layer of stress for those on board," said the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, SCI’s President and Executive Director, thanking the Coast Guard for reaching out. "Providing pastoral and emotional support in moments like these is at the heart of our mission." 

SCI is often involved in the response to high-stakes events and casualties at sea. Its chaplains were on hand for the response to the Grande Costa D'Avorio fire in Newark in 2023, the allision of the boxship Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024, and the allision of the training ship Cuauhtémoc with the Brooklyn Bridge last year - all fatal accidents with a profound effect on those aboard. 

"In each of these moments, just as with our engagement with the crew of the seized tanker, SCI’s role remains unchanged: to answer the call whenever there are mariners or seafarers in distress," SCI said in a statement. 

As for the shadow fleet, its days appear numbered in the Western Hemisphere. So far, the U.S. has seized seven Venezuela-linked shadow fleet tankers, with no signs of slowing down. Conventional tanker tonnage and conventional trading houses are quickly taking over Venezuela's oil commerce under U.S. control. Vitol and Trafigura appear to have arranged a dozen VLCC shipments out of Venezuela to date, including tankers in ballast en route to pick up cargoes, according to Bloomberg.