Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation managing the M/V Suhar and other vessels, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on October 30, 2024, in federal court in Pensacola, Florida, for falsifying records to conceal the illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean. The violations, uncovered during a U.S. Coast Guard investigation, represent a felony breach of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS).
The M/V Suhar, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, regularly transported cement between Tampico, Mexico, and Pensacola. During an August 25, 2023, inspection in Pensacola, Coast Guard personnel found that the crew had discharged untreated oily bilge water directly into the ocean, bypassing required pollution control equipment. The vessel’s oil record book was falsified to conceal the violations.
Gremex, responsible for the ship’s operations since March 2021, failed to ensure compliance with international environmental regulations outlined by the MARPOL treaty, which governs the treatment and discharge of oily bilge water at sea.
In line with a joint recommendation, the court imposed a $1.75 million fine, a four-year probation period, and a requirement for Gremex to develop and implement an environmental compliance plan during probation.
The investigation was conducted by the Coast Guard’s Investigative Service, with the case prosecuted by the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
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