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Intelligence officials voice alarm over US researchers’ collaboration with China

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For many years, American and Chinese scholars worked shoulder to shoulder on cutting-edge technologies through open research, where findings are freely shared and accessible to all. But that openness, a long-standing practice celebrated for advancing knowledge, is raising alarms among some U.S. lawmakers.

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They are worried that China — now considered the most formidable challenger to American military dominance — is taking advantage of open research to catch up with the U.S. on military technology and even gain an edge. And they are calling for action.

«For far too long, our adversaries have exploited American colleges and universities to advance their interests, while risking our national security and innovation,» said Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He has introduced legislation to put new restrictions on federally funded research collaboration with academics at several Chinese institutions that work with the Chinese military, as well as institutions in other countries deemed adversarial to U.S. interests.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., urged the DOD to re-examine their contract with a Chinese-owned financial corporation that provides tutoring for U.S. military families.  (Tom Williams/Getty Images)

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The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party makes it a priority to protect American research, having accused Beijing of weaponizing open research by converting it into a «pipeline of foreign talent and military modernization.»

The rising concerns on Capitol Hill threaten to unravel deep, two-generations-old academic ties between the countries even as the world’s two largest economies are moving away from each other through tariffs and trade barriers. The relationship has shifted from engagement to competition, if not outright enmity.

US UNIVERSITIES TRAINING CHINESE MILITARY SCIENTISTS ON TAXPAYER DIME, COMMITTEE WARNS

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«Foreign adversaries are increasingly exploiting the open and collaborative environment of U.S. academic institutions for their own gain,» said James Cangialosi, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, which in August issued a bulletin urging universities to do more to protect research from foreign meddling.

The House committee released three reports in September alone. They targeted, respectively, Pentagon-funded research involving military-linked Chinese scholars; joint U.S.-China institutes that train STEM talent for China; and visa policies that have brought military-linked Chinese students to Ph.D. programs at American universities. The reports recommend more legislation to protect U.S. research, tighter visa policies to vet Chinese students and scholars and an end to academic partnerships that could be exploited to boost China’s military powers.

More than 500 U.S. universities and institutes have collaborated with Chinese military researchers in recent years, helping Beijing develop advanced technologies with military applications, such as anti-jamming communications and hypersonic vehicles, according to a report by the private U.S. intelligence group Strider Technologies.

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China shows off its hypersonic missiles

A member of the People’s Liberation Army stands as the maritime operations group displays YJ-19 hypersonic anti-ship missiles during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, Sept. 3, 2025.  (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

TRUMP’S CHINESE STUDENT VISA PUSH SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AMID RISING CCP ‘INFLUENCE’ IN US

Despite efforts in recent years by the U.S. government to set up guardrails to prevent such collaboration from boosting China’s military capabilities, the practice is still prevalent, according to Strider, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The report identified nearly 2,500 publications produced in collaboration between U.S. entities and Chinese military-affiliated research institutes in 2024 on STEM research, which includes physics, engineering, material science, computer science, biology, medicine and geology. While the number peaked at more than 3,500 in 2019, before some new restrictive measures came into effect, the level of collaboration remains high, the report said.
This collaboration not only facilitates «potential illicit knowledge transfer,» but supports China’s «state-directed efforts to recruit top international talent, often to the detriment of U.S. national interests,» the report said.

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Foreign countries can exploit American research by stealing secrets for use in military and commercial settings, by poaching talented researchers for foreign companies and universities and by recruiting students and researchers as potential spies, authorities say.
Fostering a climate of robust academic research takes funding and long-term support. Stealing the fruits of that labor, however, can be as easy as hacking into a university network, hiring away researchers or coopting the research itself. That’s why, authorities say, it’s so tempting for American adversaries looking to take advantage of U.S. institutions and research.

The most recent threat assessment report from the Department of Homeland Security highlights concerns that American adversaries — and China specifically — seek to illicitly acquire U.S. technology. Authorities say China aims to steal military and computing technology that might give the U.S. an advantage, as well as the latest commercial innovations.

TRUMP’S CHINESE STUDENT VISA PUSH SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AMID RISING CCP ‘INFLUENCE’ IN US

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A staff member works on a simulation experiment of unmanned aerial vehicle UAV at the State Key Laboratory of Public Big Data at Guizhou University in Guiyang, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, May 23, 2023. (Liu Xu/ Getty Images)

Abigail Coplin, assistant professor of sociology and science, technology and society at Vassar College, said there are already guardrails for federally funded research to protect classified information and anything deemed sensitive.

She also said open research goes both ways, benefiting the U.S. as well, and restrictions could be counterproductive by driving away talent.

«American national security interests and economic competitiveness would be better served by continuing — if not increasing — research funding than they are by implementing costly research restrictions,» Coplin said.

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Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor, also said efforts to protect U.S. research risk stifling progress if they go too far and prevent U.S. colleges or startups from sharing information about new and emerging technology. Keeping up with China will also require big investments in efforts to protect innovation, said Bellini, who recently donated $40 million to establish a new cybersecurity and AI research college at the University of South Florida.
Bellini said it’s imperative to encourage research and development without giving secrets away to America’s enemies.

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«In the U.S., it is a reality now that our digital borders are under siege — and businesses of every size are right to be concerned,» Bellini said.

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According to Department of Justice figures, about 80% of all economic espionage cases prosecuted in the U.S. involve alleged acts that would benefit China.

Some members of Congress have pushed to reinstate a Department of Justice program created during the first Trump administration that sought to investigate Chinese intellectual espionage. The so-called «ChinaInitiative» ended in 2022 after critics said it failed to address the problem even as it perpetrated racist stereotypes about Asian American academics.

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Japón desplegará misiles tierra-aire cerca de Taiwán para reforzar su defensa ante la amenaza militar del régimen chino

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Un misil superficie-buque Tipo 88 es lanzado durante un ejercicio del Ejército japonés en el polígono de Shizunai, en el norte de Hokkaido (AP)

Japón desplegará misiles tierra-aire en la isla de Yonaguni antes de marzo de 2031, en la que será la posición militar nipona más próxima a Taiwán y un movimiento clave frente al incremento de la presión militar del régimen de China en Asia oriental.

El ministro de Defensa, Shinjiro Koizumi, confirmó que la instalación del sistema se llevará a cabo durante el año fiscal 2030, es decir, entre abril de 2030 y marzo de 2031, según el calendario oficial anunciado.

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Yonaguni, ubicada a apenas 110 kilómetros de Taiwán, es la isla más occidental de Japón y forma parte del archipiélago Nansei. Actualmente ya alberga una base militar, pero será la primera vez que se desplegará allí una unidad de misiles guiados tierra-aire de medio alcance.

Según Koizumi, el objetivo es proporcionar una cobertura adicional frente a amenazas aéreas, en respuesta al aumento sostenido de la presencia militar china y a la preocupación por un posible conflicto en el estrecho de Taiwán, una de las zonas más sensibles del escenario geopolítico asiático.

Misiles superficie-buque de corto alcance
Misiles superficie-buque de corto alcance Tipo 88 son desplegados durante un ejercicio militar conjunto entre Japón y Estados Unidos en la isla de Tokunoshima (AP)

El plan de despliegue fue anunciado originalmente en 2022, pero hasta ahora no se había divulgado el cronograma específico. Koizumi precisó que el gobierno llevará a cabo una sesión informativa para los residentes locales el 2 de marzo, en la que se explicarán los detalles del proyecto y las medidas de seguridad previstas.

El Ministerio de Defensa busca así minimizar la inquietud de la población de Yonaguni y garantizar la transparencia del proceso.

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La determinación de Tokio se produce tras varios meses de creciente tensión diplomática y militar con Beijing. Esta semana, el régimen chino impuso nuevas restricciones de exportación a 40 empresas japonesas, incluidas firmas aeroespaciales y del sector defensa, acusándolas de contribuir al desarrollo del poderío militar nipón.

El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores chino, Wang Yi, manifestó que Japón pretende “reavivar el militarismo” y denunció los planes defensivos japoneses como una amenaza directa a la estabilidad regional.

Japón desplegará misiles tierra-aire cerca
Japón desplegará misiles tierra-aire cerca de Taiwán para reforzar su defensa ante la amenaza militar del régimen chino (AP)

La ubicación de Yonaguni es estratégica no solo por su proximidad a Taiwán, sino porque esta isla marca el extremo suroeste del territorio japonés, en una zona donde convergen intereses de China, Japón y Estados Unidos.

Taiwán, que funciona como territorio autónomo aunque China lo reclama como propio, se ha convertido en el epicentro de la rivalidad geopolítica en la región. Beijing no descarta la posibilidad de recurrir a la fuerza para recuperar la isla, lo que genera preocupación en Tokio por la posibilidad de un conflicto armado a escasa distancia de su territorio.

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En noviembre pasado, la primera ministra japonesa, Sanae Takaichi, advirtió que Japón podría intervenir militarmente si China atacara Taiwán, lo que incrementó la tensión diplomática con el gobierno chino y dio lugar a nuevas represalias, como advertencias de viaje, restricciones comerciales y la inclusión de empresas japonesas en listas de control de exportaciones.

El despliegue de misiles forma parte de una estrategia más amplia impulsada por las Fuerzas de Autodefensa de Japón para reforzar la seguridad en el suroeste del país y disuadir cualquier avance militar chino.

El ministro de Defensa, Shinjiro
El ministro de Defensa, Shinjiro Koizumi, confirmó que la instalación del sistema se llevará a cabo entre abril de 2030 y marzo de 2031 como cobertura adicional frente a eventuales incursiones y ataques aéreos (AP)

En los últimos años, Japón ha incrementado la presencia de sus fuerzas en el archipiélago Nansei y ha estrechado la cooperación militar con Estados Unidos, realizando ejercicios conjuntos destinados a mejorar la capacidad de respuesta ante situaciones de crisis o agresión. Según el Ministerio de Defensa, estas maniobras buscan enviar una señal clara de disuasión a Beijing y contribuir a la estabilidad regional.

Las autoridades japonesas subrayan que el fortalecimiento de la defensa en Yonaguni responde exclusivamente a la necesidad de proteger la soberanía nacional y garantizar la paz en la región, aunque el gobierno chino sostiene que Tokio utiliza la situación en Taiwán como pretexto para expandir su arsenal y aumentar la tensión. Este cruce de acusaciones se produce en un contexto de maniobras militares chinas cerca de Taiwán, interceptaciones de aeronaves japonesas y ejercicios conjuntos entre China y Rusia en las inmediaciones de Okinawa.

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(Con información de AFP y EFE)

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Dems tap ICE detainees, suspected illegal immigrants as guests for Trump’s speech: DHS

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Several Democratic lawmakers are hosting State of the Union guests who have come under scrutiny from the Department of Homeland Security, including suspected illegal immigrants, Dreamers and citizens arrested for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement.

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A Fox News correspondent received the list when inquiring with the agency about a tweet released earlier Tuesday that said some Democrats are «planning to bring illegal aliens as guests to the State of the Union.»

«Once again, they are putting illegal aliens above the safety of American citizens. Yesterday alone our officers arrested pedophiles, rapists, and violent criminals from our communities. 

«President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it abundantly clear: if you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will never return,» the agency said in its tweet.

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A Fox News Digital review of the list found guests with varied backgrounds and circumstances.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is reportedly hosting Aliya Rahman, who was detained during an operation targeting Ecuadorian national Jonathan Chachipanta-Pualacin Jan. 13.

Members of Congress begin to arrive in the House Chamber before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., 24, 2026. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

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«ICE executed an arrest warrant to arrest an illegal alien with a final order of removal in the Park Avenue area of Minneapolis. ICE officers apprehended four illegal aliens,» a DHS spokesperson said.

«As officers carried out their law enforcement duties, a significant crowd surrounded them and began impeding law enforcement operations — a federal crime. One agitator ignored multiple commands by an officer to move her vehicle away from the scene. She was arrested for obstruction,» the spokesperson added.

DHS further disputed claims from outlets such as the CBC that reported Rahman was denied medical care after being pulled from her vehicle and detained.

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DHS SLAMS DEMS FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW: ‘IT IS QUITE LITERALLY THEIR JOB TO CHANGE IT’

Rep. Ilhan Omar clutches a binder at a town hall

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., arrives for a town hall event in Minneapolis Jan. 27, 2026. (Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Another Omar guest, Mary Granlund, is a local school board chairwoman who has taken action since the detention of a 5-year-old at Columbia Heights School, according to a statement from Omar’s office.

Granlund works with a group of faculty members who are «conducting daily patrols, working to connect detained children and families with legal assistance and coordinating food deliveries for families too scared to leave their homes,» Omar’s office said.

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A DHS spokesperson said ICE does not go into schools and instead targets child predators to protect those same children.

Rep. Jesus Garcia’s guest is Marimar Martinez, who DHS alleged was part of an «ambush» of federal officers in October and whom the agency labeled a «domestic terrorist.»

Martinez, who was reportedly armed and «has a history of doxxing federal agents,» «took defensive fire» from CBP and was later taken into FBI custody after a hospital stay.

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When asked about the criticism, Garcia told Fox News Digital, «I invited Marimar Martinez to be my guest to the State of the Union because her own government almost murdered her and is now covering it up by smearing her and failing to hold Charles Exum and other agents accountable.

DHS SAYS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS HELPED CHILD RAPISTS, GANG MEMBERS EVADE DEPORTATION

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Sen. Richard Durbin, left, Rep. Jesus Garcia (Reuters)

«This is their playbook,» the Chicago lawmaker added. «I’m proud that Marimar is my guest. Her courage stands in stark contrast to the cowardice and brutality of DHS and the rest of this lawless Administration.»

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In a prior statement, Garcia said that a Border Patrol agent «brutally shot Marimar and bragged about it, and the Trump administration wrongly called her a ‘domestic terrorist’.»

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the forefather of the DREAM Act, invited Tereza Lee, a pianist and daughter of Korean immigrants whom Durbin said is the inspiration behind the legislation he has put forth in each Congress since 2001. The latest version was introduced in 2025 and co-sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

In a statement Monday, Durbin announced Lee’s invitation, crediting her «bravery for sharing her story» and adding that President Donald Trump’s «animus towards immigrants is on full display in his second term.»

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DHS noted the DREAM Act would «allow noncitizens without legal status who were brought to the U.S. as children and meet certain education, military service or work requirements — to earn lawful permanent residence.»

Another Illinois lawmaker, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, is inviting the daughter of a man detained by DHS during the height of Operation Midway Blitz.

DHS DEMANDS MN LEADERS HONOR ICE DETAINERS, ALLEGES HUNDREDS OF CRIMINAL ALIENS HAVE BEEN RELEASED UNDER WALZ

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Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., answers questions during a news conference about the recent congressional delegation trip to the Indo-Pacific region on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Aug. 10, 2022. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)

«Donald Trump can try to rewrite his record tonight, but communities across America are living with the consequences of militarized immigration operations that have terrorized families and left Americans dead,» Krishnamoorthi said in announcing that he invited University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student Jamie to join him.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., is inviting Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a man whom DHS said was detained in May 2024 while driving the car of his father, who was being sought by authorities.

Marcelo’s student visa had lapsed, and Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that the «facts [of his case] haven’t changed.»

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«[He] is still an illegal alien and subject to removal proceedings. The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country.»

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is hosting a Venezuelan immigrant whose son was detained during a May 2025 immigration court hearing and is now being held in Pennsylvania.

«Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras is an illegal alien from Venezuela who illegally entered the U.S. more than one year ago. Under the Biden administration, he was encountered at the border and released into the country,» a DHS spokesperson countered.

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«On May 21, 2025, Contreras was arrested and placed in expedited removal proceedings. Most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals. [Joe] Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge.

«ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.»

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Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., is hosting Stephanie Quintino, whose parents, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, have been deported to Colombia, according to the agency.

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., is hosting Carolina Dias-Goncalves, a Dreamer at the University of Utah who was temporarily held at an ICE detention center after a Colorado traffic stop.

Rep. Robert Menendez Jr., D-N.J., is honoring Adriana Quiroz Zapata, an asylum seeker from Colombia who reports said fled a violent and «politically connected» former partner with his choice of guest.

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Zapata’s niece, Monica Van Housen, who has been working to prevent Zapata from being deported, will be joining Menendez in the chamber.

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«Adriana, Monica and their family deserve so much better from America than what Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, and ICE have subjected them to,» Menendez told the New Jersey Globe.

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Fox News Digital reached out to each member mentioned by DHS for comment.

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Russian ‘dark fleet’ tanker believed to be delivering oil to Cuba, detected off US coast amid Trump ban

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A tanker allegedly carrying Russian fuel en route to Cuba is using deceptive «dark fleet» tactics, including signal manipulation and offshore ship-to-ship transfers, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward.

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According to MarineTraffic, the vessel, called Sea Horse, was located Tuesday on the U.S. East Coast with its signal, noted as «roaming.» 

The move comes as the U.S. pressured Cuba’s fuel supplies, disrupting deliveries and targeting third-party countries that provide oil, following new sanctions and the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump also signed an executive order declaring a national emergency with respect to Cuba and authorizing tariffs on imports from countries that sell or supply oil there.

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Windward reported that the Russian oil tanker initially broadcast Havana as its destination on Feb. 7, and was «Hong Kong-flagged» before quietly changing tack. Windward said the tanker had an expected arrival in Cuba in early March.

The Gabon-flagged crude oil tanker NS Concord at the Port of Matanzas in Matanzas, Cuba, on Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Yander Zamora/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The vessel altered its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal to show it would arrive in the «Caribbean Sea» within two weeks — a vague designation the firm said is often used to hide a ship’s final port of call.

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The destination was later switched again to Gibraltar for orders, even after the tanker had already transited the strait, a move Windward described as inconsistent with standard commercial routing.

Windward’s analysis also suggests the vessel loaded its cargo through a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer conducted offshore near Cyprus.

RUSSIAN OIL TANKER ‘THE GRINCH’ INTERCEPTED AS US, ALLIES ESCALATE SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN

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A tanker sailing under the flag of Cuba, arrives at the port of Havana on Feb. 9.  (Yamil Lage / AFP via Getty Images)

During the loading process, the tanker’s AIS signal was temporarily switched off — «a tactic of deceptive maritime operations designed to avoid regulatory scrutiny,» Windward said.

Windward data also shows the vessel’s draft increased on Feb. 8, several days after leaving an area used for floating storage and transshipment of Russian middle distillate cargoes originating from Black Sea ports.

The tanker had loitered in that zone for roughly two weeks before departing, Windward said.

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«Ship-to-ship transfers outside territorial waters, where port-state oversight is limited, have become a common practice in oil trade to circumvent sanctions and regulatory scrutiny,» Windward noted.

‘IRREGULAR’ ARMED GUARDS ABOARD RUSSIAN SHADOW TANKERS ALARM NORDIC-BALTIC GOVERNMENTS

Diaz-Canel and Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in 2024. (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The company added that AIS manipulation, offshore transfers and ambiguous destination reporting are now standard features of shadow-fleet activity sustaining Russian oil exports despite any U.S. sanctions.

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Cuba is also facing an energy crisis that has worsened in recent weeks after oil shipments from Venezuela, its primary supplier, were halted following U.S. action in early January.

Mexico, another major supplier, also suspended oil shipments, according to The Associated Press.

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