The Maritime Administration Department (Guyana) (MARAD) says an oil tanker seized by United States forces in the Indian Ocean is not registered in Guyana and has been illegally flying the country’s flag.
Officials said the vessel, identified as Majestic X, was intercepted for allegedly transporting Iranian oil in violation of international sanctions. MARAD stressed that there is no record of the ship in Guyana’s official shipping registry.
According to the agency, the tanker was previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2024 under the name PHONIX for alleged involvement in smuggling Iranian crude oil. While the vessel has reportedly changed names, its International Maritime Organization (IMO) number remains linked to the sanctioned ship in global databases.
MARAD said the vessel is not authorized to use the Guyana flag and described the registration as fraudulent.
“This ship is not registered in Guyana; therefore, the registration is false and fraudulent,” the agency said, adding that the tanker is illegally flying the national flag.
Guyana operates a closed shipping registry, meaning vessels can only be registered if owned by Guyanese nationals, residents, CARICOM citizens, or companies incorporated under Guyanese law. MARAD said the owners linked to the tanker do not meet those requirements.
The agency noted that cases of false registration have been detected since 2021, with fraud networks targeting multiple jurisdictions, including Guyana, Panama and other states.
The International Maritime Organization maintains a public list of vessels found to be fraudulently using member state flags.
MARAD said it continues to share information on such cases with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international partners, including the United Nations and maritime authorities.
The agency also pointed to ongoing sanctions by the United States, the United Kingdom and other Western governments, noting they are partly aimed at curbing illicit oil shipments and fraudulent vessel registration practices.
At the same time, MARAD urged caution over unverified reporting, warning that inaccurate claims about Guyana’s ship registry have been circulating in some media coverage.
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