THE HAGUE – Members of the Dutch House of Representatives from the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) have submitted a series of official questions to Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Van Weel and State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Van Marum regarding how an oil tanker with alleged illegal status was permitted to discharge its cargo in the port of Curaçao.
In a parliamentary letter published on February 10, the CDA faction asked whether the government was aware of recent investigative reporting that a vessel called the Regina delivered Venezuelan oil in Curaçao on January 15, despite operating under what is alleged to have been a fraudulent flag. According to reports referenced by MPs, the vessel sailed under the flag of East Timor, had its required identification system disabled for extended periods, and appeared on a United States sanctions list.
The CDA lawmakers asked how such a vessel could be cleared to berth and discharge oil, and when Dutch authorities — including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch transport and maritime inspection — first learned of the vessel’s suspected violations. They also questioned the sequence of events and whether Curaçao’s maritime authority had alerted the Netherlands earlier about concerns over the ship’s flag status.
Additional questions targeted the timing of enforcement actions, noting the Regina was reportedly detained and taken out of service only on January 28, more than two weeks after its arrival, following confirmation from The Hague that the ship was operating under a false flag and potentially breaching European sanctions rules.
Dutch MPs also sought clarification on wider risks, including whether other sanctioned tankers were en route to Curaçao, what steps had been taken to prevent similar incidents, and whether the United States had contacted the Netherlands or Curaçao about the situation. Questions addressed potential involvement of multinational traders such as Trafigura and the legal and political risks associated with the commercialisation of Venezuelan oil under U.S. licences.
The inquiry raises broader concerns about how Curaçao and the Netherlands might be implicated in potential sanction-evasion or international law violations through the handling, storage, or transfer of Venezuelan crude. The MPs asked whether the matter had been discussed in the Kingdom Council of Ministers, given the shared responsibilities of the Kingdom on foreign relations and enforcement of international legal norms.
The Dutch government has not yet published official responses to the submitted questions.