The Daily – The 'Ghost Fleets' Moving Oil Around the World
Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Rachel Abrams with journalist Christian Trebert
Podcast: The New York Times’ The Daily
Episode Overview
This episode investigates the clandestine world of the so-called "ghost fleets"—oil tankers that use deceptive techniques to secretly transport sanctioned oil from countries like Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. Through on-the-ground reporting, satellite imagery, and deep dives into maritime data, the New York Times’s visual investigations reporter Christian Trebert reveals how the U.S., especially under a renewed Trump administration, is ramping up military and legal pressure on these fleets. The conversation explores the shadowy practices involved, the international cat-and-mouse game now unfolding on the seas, and the far-reaching implications for global politics and oil markets.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. What is the “Ghost Fleet”?
[02:21]
- The terms “ghost fleet,” “shadow fleet,” or “dark fleet” refer to hundreds (possibly thousands) of oil tankers using deceptive methods to evade international sanctions—primarily moving oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
- Common tactics: turning off transponders (“going dark”), spoofing location data, changing ship names and flags, and faking registration information.
Notable Quote:
- “It’s basically a term for oil tankers that use deceptive practices to kind of hide that they’re transporting sanctioned oil...there’s a lot of money to make if you’re shipping sanctioned oil.” – Christian Trebert [02:21]
2. Scale and Impact
[03:31] – [04:04]
- Up to 20% of oil tankers globally have engaged in these shadow activities.
- While the fleet accounts for ~3–9% of global oil traded, that slice has immense political and economic consequences.
Notable Quote:
- “It’s probably around, like, 10 to 20% of oil tankers worldwide that have engaged in this kind of activity, which is quite a bit.” – Christian Trebert [03:40]
3. Why These Fleets Matter: Sanctions & Evasion
[04:04] – [04:56]
- U.S. and allies use sanctions to stymie the ability of certain regimes (Russia, Iran, Venezuela) to fund activities deemed hostile or contrary to U.S. interests.
- For years, evasion was (effectively) easy due to loose enforcement and the complexities of shipping.
Notable Quote:
- “These ships have been shipping that oil, and there’s not really any kind of enforcement...But all of that changed in December.” – Christian Trebert [04:42]
4. A Turning Point: U.S. Military Crackdown
[05:04] – [06:22]
- In December, the U.S., under President Trump, escalated military pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro regime, blockading and actively seizing oil tankers.
- The new policy: seize any ship carrying Venezuelan oil outside approved channels.
- Rapid action followed, with commandos seizing tankers at sea—causing others to either turn around or “hide” in Venezuelan waters.
Notable Quotes:
- “Suddenly, after years of not enforcing these sanctions, the US now seems very serious about stopping these ghost fleets.” – Rachel Abrams [05:57]
- “Strength in numbers. Imagine having to chase 16 [tankers]…the odds of being captured by the United States are way smaller.” – Christian Trebert [08:15]
5. Tracking the Ghost Fleet: Modern Sleuthing
[10:24] – [15:44]
- Trebert’s investigations use open-source intelligence:
- MarineTraffic to monitor ships’ broadcast locations.
- Satellite imagery to reveal ships that have “gone dark.”
- Social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, where eager crew members post photos and videos from ships—even though their employers may want secrecy.
- Ground photographers in Venezuela help confirm visual identities of ships.
- Deceptive tricks include name changes (even painting new names), hiding identities, and flying fake or multiple flags (increasingly Russian flags for supposed “protection”).
Memorable Moment:
- “We have seen ships that are obscuring their own name in very kind of rudimentary ways. We’ve seen bed sheets being hung over the hull to obscure the name.” – Christian Trebert [14:56]
6. The Cat-and-Mouse on the Open Seas
[16:43] – [18:40]
- After Maduro’s capture and the U.S. blockade, a fleet of 16 tankers bolted from Venezuelan waters together—a coordinated “zombie race” so all could try to evade U.S. Navy interception.
- Some were caught, others made it to open ocean (likely African destinations); a few turned back, now operating under U.S. direction.
Notable Quote:
- “The zombie race worked out for them. And there is another group of tankers that turned around and went back to Venezuela and seems to be obeying U.S. orders right now.” – Christian Trebert [17:44]
7. Holes in the System: Why Has This Gone On So Long?
[18:40] – [20:52]
- Enforcement lagged because accountability fell between regulatory cracks—U.S. Treasury writes sanctions, but only recently have Navy/Coast Guard been mobilized as enforcers.
- Global ports demand legitimate insurance for docking tankers. For years, shadow fleet ships lied to Western insurers.
- Increased reporting now sees major insurers cutting off coverage, pushing these tankers to use dubious, sometimes “non-existent” insurers — heightening environmental and financial risks.
Notable Quote:
- “Now these ships are getting insurance from less reputable companies, or sometimes even companies that may not really exist that are often linked to Russia, which is also pretty scary, right? Because let’s say something happens…who the hell is going to pay for it?” – Christian Trebert [20:44]
8. Global Ripple Effects & Geopolitics
[20:57] – [25:55]
- France, following U.S. example after the Davos summit, boarded a Russian-sanctioned oil tanker—a “spillover effect” signaling growing international cooperation.
- U.S. is now similarly building up its naval presence by Iran, suggesting a broader enforcement campaign could be imminent.
- If more shadow fleet tankers are seized, global oil flows and market prices could become volatile, with China and India facing higher costs as supplies diminish or reroute.
- Potential for escalation: Will Russia and Iran retaliate by targeting Western tankers? How much will this threaten global energy security?
Notable Quotes:
- “The global oil market doesn’t like when there is uncertainty. So each time a ship is getting seized, there’s a small uptick in the price of oil, but that washes out over time.” – Christian Trebert [24:09]
- “So the question of how these governments are going to survive is the main question on my mind moving forward.” – Christian Trebert [25:55]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
- “It’s basically a term for oil tankers that use deceptive practices to kind of hide that they’re transporting sanctioned oil.” – Christian Trebert [02:21]
- “It’s probably around, like, 10 to 20% of oil tankers worldwide that have engaged in this kind of activity.” – Christian Trebert [03:40]
- “But all of that changed in December.” – Christian Trebert [04:42]
- “Imagine having to chase 16 of them. So the odds...of being captured by the US are way smaller.” – Christian Trebert [08:15]
- “We have seen ships that are obscuring their own name in very kind of rudimentary ways…bed sheets being hung over the hull.” – Christian Trebert [14:56]
- “Now these ships are getting insurance from less reputable companies...who the hell is going to pay for it?” – Christian Trebert [20:44]
- “So the question of how these governments are going to survive is the main question on my mind moving forward.” – Christian Trebert [25:55]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [02:21]: Definition of ghost/shadow/dark fleets
- [03:31]: Estimated scale of sanctioned shipments
- [05:04]: U.S. military campaign against Venezuelan oil tankers
- [07:22]: Tanker "zombie race" to escape blockade
- [10:24]: How investigative journalists track the fleets
- [14:56]: Deceptive tactics for hiding ship identity
- [16:43]: Ships switching to Russian flags for protection
- [20:44]: Problems with fake insurers and potential risks
- [20:57]: International spillover: France joins U.S. crackdown
- [23:09]: Risks and global market impacts
- [24:42]: Potential for broader political escalation
Closing Reflections
This episode unpacks the hidden global infrastructure designed to skirt sanctions, revealing a complex web of evasion, international politics, and investigative reporting. While recent U.S. efforts represent an unprecedented challenge to the shadow fleet’s operations, the ever-evolving game between shippers and authorities is far from over. Christian Trebert’s reporting shows both how difficult (and oddly human) the business of sanctions evasion remains, and how global attempts at enforcement may reshape not just politics, but the world’s access to oil itself.