Lauren Bessette&x27;s Friend Remembers Her &x27;Fun&x27; Life in N.Y.C. Before the Tragic Plane Crash (Exclusive) Brooke MigdonThu, March 19, 2026 at 9:12 PM UTC 0 Lauren Bessette, the older sister of Carolyn Bessette KennedyCredit: Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma/Getty;Globe Photos/Shutterstock Lauren Bessette, the elder sister of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, had been enjoying a fresh start in New York City before her death "When she left work, she was going out to have fun," says RoseMarie Terenzio, JFK Jr.'s former executive assistant and a friend of the Bessette sisters.

Lauren Bessette's Friend Remembers Her 'Fun' Life in N.Y.C. Before the Tragic Plane Crash (Exclusive)

Brooke MigdonThu, March 19, 2026 at 9:12 PM UTC

Lauren Bessette, the older sister of Carolyn Bessette KennedyCredit: Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma/Getty;Globe Photos/Shutterstock -

Lauren Bessette, the elder sister of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, had been enjoying a fresh start in New York City before her death

"When she left work, she was going out to have fun," says RoseMarie Terenzio, JFK Jr.'s former executive assistant and a friend of the Bessette sisters. "She wasn't being an 'executive,' she was being, like, a fun single girl in New York City"

Lauren moved back to New York after spending time abroad for work one year before she tragically died in a plane crash alongside her sister Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and JFK Jr. in 1999

Lauren Bessette, the older sister of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and sister-in-law of John F. Kennedy Jr., was settling into a new chapter in New York City when her life was cut tragically short in the summer of 1999.

"Lauren was amazing," RoseMarie Terenzio, JFK Jr.'s executive assistant during the last five years of his life and a friend of the two Bessette sisters, tells PEOPLE. "She was really fun and funny and really smart."

Terenzio was introduced to the elder Bessette sister by Carolyn, with whom she had formed a friendship, and was in the early stages of getting close to Lauren when she died.

"I wish there was more time," Terenzio says.

Lauren had only been back in New York for a year when she was killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard alongside Carolyn and John in July 1999. She'd spent four years abroad in Hong Kong working for Morgan Stanley and had recently been promoted to principal when she died.

Veteran BBC correspondent Fergal Keane wrote shortly after her death that Lauren, whom he met while working and living in China, "had the gift of a formidable intellect" and was "one of the most vibrant women I've ever met." He recalled marveling at her knack for haggling during a trip to an antiques market in Beijing in 1995 — Lauren was fluent in Mandarin — and lively debates between the two about Asian politics that stretched from late at night to early in the morning.

"It was a pleasure to argue with her," he wrote.

Lauren left Hong Kong for New York in early 1998, where she bought an apartment just two blocks from Carolyn and John's two-bedroom loft in Tribeca. She immersed herself in New York City culture, expanding her palette at new restaurants in the East Village and catching ballet and opera performances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Lauren Bessette (left) chats with Carolyn (middle) and John (right) in N.Y.C.Credit: Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma via Getty

Chip Arndt, who worked with Lauren in New York and Hong Kong, told Town & Country in 1999 that the two would attend fundraisers in the Hamptons and galas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art together. They'd go dancing at Webster Hall, he said, and linger over dinners at Cowgirl in the West Village, one of their favorite spots.

"She'd always get there five or 10 minutes early. It would drive me crazy. She'd have a big smile on her face," Arndt told the magazine. "I say this as delicately as possible, but if I weren't gay, I would have married her."

Lauren "had a huge heart," Adam Clammer, another friend and former co-worker in Hong Kong, told Town & Country after she died. "She had time for everybody." But perhaps more than anyone, Lauren had time for her sister, Carolyn. (Lauren's identical twin sister, Lisa Bessette, was working on her Ph.D. in medieval art history several time zones away in Munich.)

Carolyn and Lauren Bessette in 1982Credit: Courtesy

The two sisters trusted and confided in one another, Terenzio tells PEOPLE, and John saw Lauren as a "voice of reason" in his relationship with Carolyn.

"John had a lot of respect for Lauren," Terenzio says. "I think he trusted her judgment, for the most part. I think he felt like she knew Carolyn — her family knew her better than anybody — and I think he felt like Lauren had really good insights."

"She was very level-headed, she wasn't drama, and I think he liked that about her," Terenzio adds. But that wasn't to say Lauren took life too seriously.

"When she left work, she was going out to have fun," Terenzio says. "She wasn't being an 'executive,' she was being, like, a fun single girl in New York City."

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"We used to go out to dinner, we would go out for drinks, we would meet with a group of her friends, Carolyn's friends, my friends — we'd all get together. Even if Carolyn wasn't there, Lauren would come out," Terenzio says about their time together in New York.

She still remembers one of Lauren's favorite drinks: vodka on the rocks with a few olives and a splash of the brine. "'You don't need the whole martini,' she would say," Terenzio recalls, laughing.

"It's the best drink recipe ever, and I still do it to this day," she adds. "It's my little homage and cheers to Lauren."

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Lauren Bessette's Friend Remembers Her 'Fun' Life in N.Y.C. Before the Tragic Plane Crash (Exclusive)

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"The Bachelorette" season with Taylor Frankie Paul canceled, ABC says CBSNews Thu, March 19, 2026 at 9:27 PM UTC 0 ABC has scrubbed the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette," starring Taylor Frankie Paul, citing a newly released video from 2023. Thursday's unprecedented cancellation of the already filmed season of the longrunning reality television show comes days before it was to premiere, on Sunday.

"The Bachelorette" season with Taylor Frankie Paul canceled, ABC says

CBSNews Thu, March 19, 2026 at 9:27 PM UTC

ABC has scrubbed the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette," starring Taylor Frankie Paul, citing a newly released video from 2023.

Thursday's unprecedented cancellation of the already filmed season of the long-running reality television show comes days before it was to premiere, on Sunday.

"In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family," a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News.

The statement appeared to reference a 2023 video of an altercation between Paul and her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen, that was published by TMZ on Thursday. Paul was arrested in 2023 and charged with aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. She pleaded guilty that August to a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault; the other charges were dismissed.

A police spokesperson in Draper City, Utah, told People magazine that there was an open domestic violence investigation of Paul and Mortensen, and that allegations have been made in both directions. Mortensen is the father of one of Paul's three children.

Representatives for Paul and Mortensen didn't immediately return requests for comment. ABC's statement didn't include details on what the network planned to do with the show's time slot.

Taylor Frankie Paul appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026. / Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Paul, who was promoting Season 22 as recently as Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America" and on the red carpet before Sunday's Oscars telecast, was an unusual choice to helm "The Bachelorette." Unlike previous leads, the 31-year-old had not appeared on the "Bachelor" franchise before — a departure from the typical practice of casting runners-up from previous seasons.

Her selection did offer synergy, though, as she also stars on "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," a Hulu reality show. Both Hulu and ABC are owned by Disney. In a statement confirming her casting in October, ABC credited Paul with "igniting 'MomTok' and going viral for pulling back the curtain on Salt Lake's soft-swinging scene."

Paul became known as an influencer in the #MomTok community, a group of women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sharing their lives on TikTok. She made news when she announced in 2022 that she had "stepped out" of an agreement with her husband in terms of relationships with other couples, and they were getting divorced.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" premiered in 2024. While Season 4 was released last week, filming on Season 5 had already paused over the investigation.

"It was a decision that all of us girls came up with," Paul's co-star Mikayla Matthews said Wednesday on Instagram in response to a fan question about the production freeze. "We didn't feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening."

Paul posted on Instagram in December that filming had wrapped on "The Bachelorette," which is hosted by Jesse Palmer.

Joseph Duggar arrested, facing child sex abuse charges

A lot of Iran's nuclear capabilities "still has survived," UN watchdog chief says

Trump warns Israel and Iran after strikes on energy facilities

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"The Bachelorette" season with Taylor Frankie Paul canceled, ABC says

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Brandy Responds to Rappers Shyne and Mase Joking About Alleged Past Romantic Involvement with the Singer Angela AndaloroThu, March 19, 2026 at 9:17 PM UTC 0 Shyne (left), Brandy (center), MaceCredit: Brianna Bryson/FilmMagic; Jason Howard/BauerGriffin/GC Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Shyne appeared as a guest on Mase and Cam'ron's "It Is What It Is" podcast, where the two discussed their alleged past involvement with Brandy The conversation was highlighted by Brandy's brother, Ray J, who threatened the two rappers for speaking disrespectfully about his sister Brandy responded to the discourse...

Brandy Responds to Rappers Shyne and Mase Joking About Alleged Past Romantic Involvement with the Singer

Angela AndaloroThu, March 19, 2026 at 9:17 PM UTC

Shyne (left), Brandy (center), MaceCredit: Brianna Bryson/FilmMagic; Jason Howard/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty -

Shyne appeared as a guest on Mase and Cam'ron's "It Is What It Is" podcast, where the two discussed their alleged past involvement with Brandy

The conversation was highlighted by Brandy's brother, Ray J, who threatened the two rappers for speaking disrespectfully about his sister

Brandy responded to the discourse, denying having dated Shyne and asking Ray J not to get involved

Brandy is setting the record straight.

In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, March 19, the singer, 47, addressed a recent podcast conversation between rappers Moses "Shyne" Barrow and Mase, in which both joked about having had intimate relationships with the singer.

"In the late '90s, I had a platonic friendship with rapper Shyne. In an unfortunate turn of events, that friendship is now being mischaracterized as 'we dated.' Unequivocally, we did not!" Brandy wrote in her caption.

"I'm not sure why an untrue narrative about a scope of what was a friendship more than 20 years ago is being reshaped during his current media interviews."

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She continued, "People telling their version of my story is why I am releasing my upcoming memoir PHASES. It's time to tell my truth and debunk many of the misnomers that people think they know about my life."

Brandy also addressed brother Ray J getting involved on her behalf, writing, "Additionally, I rarely release statements and typically ignore stories about me in the headlines even when they're false. But when I do decide to stand up for myself, I handle things on my own. While I love my brother Ray J, I don't condone or support the messages he's shared on social media and have not asked him to defend me in any form."On the It Is What It Is podcast, Mase's cohost, Cam'ron, brought up Brandy and asked the two about rumors that they both dated her, with some of their time spent with her overlapping.

"I was special. He came in and wanted to be special too, so I had to let him be special," Mase joked.

Shyne agreed, saying. "No lies told. He was Shaq, he was the champion, he was the MVP. I was Kobe, no pun intended, because they said Kobe was a special friend of Brandy's as well, but I was coming out of high school on the championship team, and he was the superstar, but I definitely did want to be special."

Ray J found the conversation between the two disrespectful of his sister. In a since-deleted video addressing the two, he urged, "Keep my sister's name out of your mouth, and if not, I'm gonna slap the f--king daylights out of you when I see you."

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Brandy Responds to Rappers Shyne and Mase Joking About Alleged Past Romantic Involvement with the Singer

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"The Bachelorette" Premiere Replaced with "American Idol" Rerun After ABC Cancels Taylor Frankie Paul&x27;s Season Brenton BlanchetThu, March 19, 2026 at 9:32 PM UTC 0 Taylor Frankie PaulCredit: Fred Hayes/Disney via Getty ABC will air a rerun of American Idol on March 22 instead of the premiere of Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette season Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said Thursday, "We have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time" The new reality show Love Overboard is scheduled to air after, in the 10 p.m.

"The Bachelorette" Premiere Replaced with "American Idol" Rerun After ABC Cancels Taylor Frankie Paul's Season

Brenton BlanchetThu, March 19, 2026 at 9:32 PM UTC

Taylor Frankie PaulCredit: Fred Hayes/Disney via Getty -

ABC will air a rerun of American Idol on March 22 instead of the premiere of Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette season

Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said Thursday, "We have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time"

The new reality show Love Overboard is scheduled to air after, in the 10 p.m. ET timeslot

After pulling the season premiere of Taylor Frankie Paul's The Bachelorette days before it was set to air, ABC has made alternative broadcast plans.

Paul's two-hour premiere episode was set to air this Sunday, March 22, at 8 p.m. ET. However, it was canceled on Thursday, March 19. PEOPLE can confirm that instead, a rerun of the singing competition show American Idol will air in its place.

A brand-new dating show Love Overboard was intended to premiere directly following The Bachelorette season 22 kick-off in the 10 p.m. ET timeslot.

A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson announced Thursday, March 19, "In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family."

Taylor Frankie Paul at 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' season 2 premiereCredit: JC Olivera/Variety via Getty

The news arrived hours after TMZ published footage from 2023 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, throwing chairs at her ex Dakota Mortensen while a child was nearby. Paul shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5½, with ex-husband Tate Paul. She shares son Ever, 2, with Mortensen.

A spokesperson for Paul told PEOPLE on March 19, "It's sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child. Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences."

Paul was previously arrested in 2023 for alleged domestic violence following an argument with Mortensen and faced misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, with CBS News reporting at the time that she faced child abuse charges after a chair that she was accused of throwing at Mortensen allegedly hit her daughter.

On Monday, March 16, a Draper City Police Department spokesperson confirmed that there was an open "domestic assault investigation" regarding Taylor and Mortensen, 33. The spokesperson confirmed "allegations have been made in both directions" and "contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th." The spokesperson declined to share more amid the ongoing investigation.

Mortensen's rep later told Entertainment Weekly that his "number one priority here is protecting Ever," their son, and that "he was just hoping that if he says nothing, as he usually does, it would go away." The rep also denied any suggestion that Mortensen was responsible for the investigation being made public.

A source told PEOPLE on March 16 that filming had been halted on season 5 of Mormon Wives due to "some pretty serious stuff happening regarding [Paul's] past."

On Tuesday, March 17, Paul spoke with PEOPLE during a press preview for the since-scrapped season, saying that "the timing is hard, and it's a big deal" regarding the investigation.

"It's just heavy. It's a heavy time, and it's unfortunate," she said at the time. "I'm struggling for sure, but also at the same time I feel like if I don't show up, then I'm just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we've worked on and something super exciting that's coming. I just feel like it was the right thing to do... show up even though it's hard."

Paul had already filmed her Bachelorette season with 22 men as her contestants.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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“The Bachelorette” Premiere Replaced with “American Idol” Rerun After ABC Cancels Taylor Frankie Paul's Season

"The Bachelorette" Premiere Replaced with "American Idol" Rerun After ABC Cancels Taylor Frankie P...

New Photo - ABC pulls Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette amid domestic violence investigation

Paul's season was set to debut on Sunday, March 22. ABC pulls Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette amid domestic violence investigation Paul's season was set to debut on Sunday, March 22. By Sarah Hearon March 19, 2026 3:54 p.m. ET :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/TaylorFrankiePaul8840909259af78d8ce87b4494ad5b71dbba148b06.jpg) Taylor Frankie Paul on 'The Bachelorette'. Credit: Michael Kirchoff/Disney Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette will no longer air as planned.

Paul's season was set to debut on Sunday, March 22.

ABC pulls Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette amid domestic violence investigation

Paul's season was set to debut on Sunday, March 22.

By Sarah Hearon

March 19, 2026 3:54 p.m. ET

Taylor Frankie Paul on 'The Bachelorette'

Taylor Frankie Paul on 'The Bachelorette'. Credit:

Michael Kirchoff/Disney

Taylor Frankie Paul's season of *The Bachelorette* will no longer air as planned.

"In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of *The Bachelorette* at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family," a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said in a statement to ** on Thursday.

Back in September, ABC announced that the *Secret Lives of Mormon Wives* cast member would star on season 22 of the long-running dating series, making her the first non-franchise Bachelorette. Paul subsequently filmed season 4 of *Mormon Wives* — during which she hooked up with her on-again, off-again ex Dakota Mortensen — before leaving to film the dating show in late October. She announced on Dec. 21 that she wrapped *The Bachelorette**.*

Less than a week away from the scheduled March 22 premiere, however, news broke that an alleged incident involving Paul and Mortensen, who share son Ever, was under investigation with Utah police. The Draper City Police Department confirmed at the time that there was an "domestic assault investigation" involving the exes, revealing "allegations have been made in both directions" and "contact was made with involved parties on [Feb.] 24th and 25th."

While production on season 5 of *Mormon Wives* was halted, Paul resumed promotion for *The Bachelorette*, telling EW* *on Tuesday that she had gone "no contact" with Mortensen.

"I actually took action about a few weeks ago," she said. "I'm just doing third-party everything — pick-up, drop-offs, communication — so no contact right now for me. I think that's the best case, honestly, because clearly it's just not to a point of us getting along, so I wanted to take the best action I could… I didn't want to bring anything to the public eye, making it a bigger deal for the sake of my son, and just everything about to come out. But that wasn't the plan for [Mortensen]."

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A source later replied to the implication that Mortensen might be responsible for the investigation going public. "He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor," the source told EW. "It's been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to co-parent well."

Paul and Mortensen's relationship previously made headlines in 2023 when she was arrested following a separate incident. She pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault. As part of her plea deal, Paul was placed on three years' probation, which ends in August, and prosecutors dropped four other charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and criminal mischief.

On Thursday, TMZ published footage from the past altercation, in which Paul could be seen throwing a chair at her then-boyfriend in the presence of her oldest child. (Paul shares two kids with her ex-husband Tate Paul. The pair split following a soft-swinging scandal.)

"It's sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child," Paul's rep told EW in a statement about the 2023 footage. "Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences."

Cinnabon breaks silence on Taylor Frankie Paul drama, cuts ties with 'Bachelorette' and 'Mormon Wives'

A plate of cinnamon buns; Taylor Frankie Paul at the 2026 Oscars

Taylor Frankie Paul breaks silence on domestic violence investigation ahead of 'Bachelorette' premiere

Taylor Frankie Paul The Bachelorette

TMZ subsequently reported that Mortensen had filed for a restraining order against Paul, stating he is "genuinely concerned for my safety and the safety and well-being of my child" following the alleged February incident.

*The Bachelorette* has aired on ABC since 2003, following the successful debut of *The Bachelor* in 2002.

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The actress opened up about the abortion she got in her 20s in her 2023 memoir &34;Thicker Than Water.&34; Kerry Washington says Scandal abortion scene was 'cathartic' after her own experience with the procedure The actress opened up about the abortion she got in her 20s in her 2023 memoir &34;Thicker Than Water.&34; By Daysia Tolentino :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/DaysiaTolentinoauthorphotob1c9bf2343cf4cf7b77759eeb9f69e8d.jpg) Daysia Tolentino Daysia Tolentino is a writer at . She has written for since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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Cuba readies for first Russian oil shipment of the year as energy crisis deepens ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Thu, March 19, 2026 at 8:49 PM UTC 0 Street vendors chat on the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) () HAVANA (AP) — Cuba is preparing to receive its first shipment of Russian oil this year, just days after the government announced it was operating on natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants as severe power outages continue to hit an island whose power grid is crumbling.

Cuba readies for first Russian oil shipment of the year as energy crisis deepens

ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Thu, March 19, 2026 at 8:49 PM UTC

Street vendors chat on the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ()

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba is preparing to receive its first shipment of Russian oil this year, just days after the government announced it was operating on natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants as severe power outages continue to hit an island whose power grid is crumbling.

The Russian-flagged Anatoly Kolodkin is some 3,000 nautical miles from Cuba in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to reach the island in 10 days, Jorge Piñón, an expert at the University of Texas Energy Institute, told The .

If so, that would mark the first time any oil shipment from any country reaches Cuba in the past three months given a U.S. energy blockade.

The tanker is carrying 730,000 barrels of fuel and is on the list of vessels of its type sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom following the war in Ukraine, Piñón said.

Tracking a second vessel

Another vessel, the Hong Kong-flagged Sea Horse, is also reportedly carrying Russian oil to Cuba, transporting approximately 200,000 barrels of diesel, Piñón said.

He noted that Cuba consumes roughly 20,000 barrels of diesel per day, and that the Sea Horse's cargo does not necessarily cover overall demand for diesel given the island's low storage inventories.

Piñón believes the fuel will likely be used for "critical sectors of the economy," such as transportation and agriculture.

He said it would likely take four days for the Sea Horse to reach Cuba if that is indeed its destination.

Piñón noted that the ship lingered for 20 days in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean before deciding to continue its west-southwestward journey. It is some 958 nautical miles from Matanzas, Cuba.

The difficulty in tracing the ship's destination lies in the fact that some of these vessels — amid tensions caused by international sanctions or threats of capture by the United States — turn off their satellite tracking devices, preventing effective monitoring, experts say.

If the arrival of any of the two ships is confirmed, it would be the first shipment of Russian oil this year. The previous shipment detected was transported by the Ocean Mariner with 85,000 barrels from the port of Pajaritos, Mexico, on Jan. 9.

On Thursday, Gen. Francis Donovan, head of the U.S. Southern Command, said in Senate testimony that his officers are tracking a Russian destroyer supported by an oil "replenishment ship" that is scheduled to make a port call to Cuba. He said the oiler, even if it does unload its cargo, is unlikely to have any significant impact on Cuba's oil supplies.

In response to senators' questioning, Donovan said his command is not currently rehearsing for any military intervention in Cuba and its sole planning focus is on protecting the U.S. Embassy and military base in Guantanamo Bay, although if needed it can also respond to any migration or humanitarian crisis in the Caribbean.

Deepening crises

Cuba produces barely 40% of its petroleum; the rest is obtained from Russia, Mexico and Venezuela.

But critical shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its then-leader, President Nicolás Maduro — a key commercial and ideological partner for Cuba.

In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. That month, Mexico halted its oil shipments to Cuba.

The situation has deepened the island's energy and economic crises, leading to 10-hour blackouts, forcing a reduction in working hours, limiting transportation and leading to a drop in tourism — previously one of its main sources of income.

The worsening situation also has sparked small protests.

Cuba has been experiencing a severe economic crisis since the beginning of this decade due to tightened U.S. sanctions, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and an internal financial reform that triggered inflation.

Food and medicine shortages have become a reality for Cubans. Meanwhile, the crises have unleashed a surge in emigration, particularly of young people and skilled workers, to the United States, Mexico and Europe.

This week, as part of an ongoing international convoy to help Cuba, European activists delivered more than four tons of medical supplies to the island. More aid is expected to arrive Friday via plane and Saturday via a large flotilla, including solar panels, medical supplies and nonperishable food collected by activists in Mexico. Among those expected to travel to Cuba aboard the flotilla are British Parliamentarian Jeremy Corbyn and popular Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap.

Trump has said he is prepared to take Cuba by any means necessary; and the Cuban government, while acknowledging talks with the United States, has defended its sovereignty.

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Cuba readies for first Russian oil shipment of the year as energy crisis deepens

Cuba readies for first Russian oil shipment of the year as energy crisis deepens ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Thu, March 19, 2026...

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