PB Tankers and nearly its entire fleet have been hit with US government sanctions.

According to the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control, the Federica Barbaro-led tanker owner was operating in Venezuela's oil sector.

The Italian company did not immediately return requests for comment.

The ships involved are the 108,152-dwt Alba Marina (built 1999), the 51,922-dwt Ice Point (built 2007), the 51,062-dwt Silver Point (built 2001), the 51,004-dwt Gold Point (built 2011), the 50,922-dwt Indian Point (built 2008) and the 50,922-dwt Iron Point (built 2008).