ACTIVE SDN Verified active as of June 2026

Esperanza

OFAC Venezuela Sanctions Profile — Vessel listed under VENEZUELA-EO13850

Status: Active SDN designation Program: Venezuela — EO 13850 (Gold sector / public officials) Sector: Economic & financial actors First indexed: 2026-04-17 Last verified: June 2026

Key Facts

OFAC name on file: ESPERANZA
Type: Vessel
Sanctions program: Venezuela — EO 13850 (Gold sector / public officials)
IMO: 9289166
Flag: Greece

About this designation

Esperanza appears on the US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List under the Venezuela — EO 13850 (Gold sector / public officials) program. US persons and entities are prohibited from engaging in transactions with this vessel, and any property or interests in property within US jurisdiction must be blocked and reported to OFAC.

Why this designation matters

Esperanza falls within the economic and financial sector of Venezuela's sanctions landscape. This sector encompasses PDVSA and its subsidiaries, the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), state mining operations, and the financial intermediaries that facilitate transactions for the Maduro government's oil, gold, and sovereign debt operations. Executive Order 13850, signed in 2018, targets persons operating in the gold sector of the Venezuelan economy and those responsible for Venezuela's deepening humanitarian crisis, including misuse of government programs and corruption in the public sector. OFAC's listing explicitly links Esperanza to CAROIL TRANSPORT MARINE LTD, indicating a documented relationship of ownership, control, or beneficial interest. As a designated vessel, Esperanza is blocked property under US sanctions law. Any port, refinery, or shipping insurer under US jurisdiction is prohibited from servicing this vessel, and the designation effectively restricts its ability to carry Venezuelan crude or refined products in international commerce.

OFAC remarks (full text)

Verbatim from OFAC SDN listing:
Former Vessel Flag Greece; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9289166; Linked To: CAROIL TRANSPORT MARINE LTD.

Linked entities

OFAC's SDN listing for Esperanza explicitly references the following entity, which means a relationship documented by US Treasury (ownership, control, agency, or beneficial interest):

Caroil Transport Marine LTD — entity, VENEZUELA-EO13850

Frequently asked questions

▸ Is Esperanza currently sanctioned by OFAC?

Yes. As of June 2026, Esperanza is on the active US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under the Venezuela — EO 13850 (Gold sector / public officials) program. All assets under US jurisdiction are blocked and US persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

▸ What OFAC program is Esperanza sanctioned under?

Esperanza is designated under Venezuela — EO 13850 (Gold sector / public officials). This is one of four Venezuela-related OFAC programs: VENEZUELA (omnibus), EO 13692 (human-rights / corruption, 2015), EO 13850 (gold sector and individual officials, 2018), and EO 13884 (government-of-Venezuela block, 2019).

▸ When was Esperanza added to the OFAC SDN list?

Esperanza was added to the OFAC SDN list on 2026-04-17. OFAC publishes designations as part of broader Venezuela-program actions; the linked OFAC source page records the original press release. The designation remains active until OFAC removes it via a delisting action.

Verifying this designation

Useful tools and explainers

Search the full Venezuela SDN list — paste any name to see if it's currently designated.
OFAC General Licenses for Venezuela — the active GLs that authorize otherwise-prohibited transactions.
What are OFAC sanctions on Venezuela? (plain-English guide)
All currently sanctioned economic & financial actors — the sector cohort Esperanza is part of.
OFAC Venezuela SDN list by sector — pivot the full corpus by military, economic, diplomatic, or governance.
Browse all 450 active Venezuela-program SDN designations

Esperanza was designated under VENEZUELA-EO13850, a Venezuela-sector program. For sector-level context — regulatory framework, OFAC pathways, and current deal flow — see Venezuela mining sector — gold, sanctions, legal framework.