Shining a Light on Shadow Fleets

Illicit shadow fleets are a growing threat to global security. These vessels help adversarial nations evade sanctions and finance operations. Recent hybrid warfare incidents in Europe demonstrate the escalating risk. Many indicators of shadow fleet activity are recognizable, but identifying them is only half the battle. Uncovering who controls these vessels requires piercing opaque ownership structures and hidden networks.

Key Takeaways

• Sanctions Enforcement Latest U.S. and European sanctions efforts targeting shadow fleet operators and the enforcement mechanisms being deployed to counter their activities.
• Ownership Attribution Techniques Uncover the individuals and organizations behind shadow fleet networks, moving beyond vessel identification to ownership attribution.
• Corporate and Maritime Data Integration How corporate ownership records and maritime data work together to expose the networks financing and controlling illicit vessels.
• Real-World Case Studies Connect individual vessels to the decision-makers and beneficiaries orchestrating shadow fleet operations.

Who Should Watch

This masterclass is built for analysts and investigators in government and the financial sector:

• Government Analysts and Investigators Intelligence and enforcement professionals working to counter sanctions evasion and disrupt shadow fleet networks.
• Financial Crime Specialists Compliance and investigations teams identifying financial flows and beneficial ownership in sanctions cases.
• Hybrid Warfare Analysts Investigators examining shadow fleets as part of broader state-sponsored operations and asymmetric threats.
• Sanctions Enforcement Teams Regulatory and enforcement professionals working to counter foreign adversary activities.

Continuing Education Credit

Attendees of this masterclass are eligible for one (1) CFCS credit from the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS) for 100% attendance.