US forces board another Venezuela-linked sanctioned oil tanker in Indian Ocean

US military forces boarded a second sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel across oceans from the Caribbean, the Pentagon said on Sunday, in the latest step in Washington’s campaign to disrupt sanctioned Venezuelan oil exports.

The operation targeted the Panama-flagged tanker Veronica III, which US authorities say attempted to evade an oil blockade on sanctioned vessels imposed by President Donald Trump late last year. The interdiction was carried out without incident in the Indo-Pacific region after weeks of surveillance and pursuit, officials said.

In a statement posted on social media, the Pentagon said, "The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine – hoping to slip away. We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down."

SECOND BOARDING IN WEEKS

The Veronica III is the second tanker boarded by US forces in the Indian Ocean this month following a similar operation against the vessel Aquila II, which is being held pending a decision on its status. The interceptions form part of an expanded maritime enforcement effort against tankers suspected of carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

Washington imposed sweeping restrictions on Venezuela’s oil sector years ago, accusing Caracas of sanctions evasion through a so-called shadow fleet of re-flagged vessels moving crude into global supply chains. Several ships reportedly left Venezuelan waters in early January amid intensified US pressure, including the Veronica III, which departed on the day Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro was captured in a US-backed operation.

The tanker was carrying nearly two million barrels of crude and fuel oil, according to shipping trackers.

ESCALATING PRESSURE ON VENEZUELA OIL TRADE

US officials have framed the boardings as part of a strategy to disrupt illicit oil flows and assert control over Venezuelan exports. The Veronica III is listed under US sanctions tied to Iranian-linked shipping networks.

The Pentagon did not say whether the vessel had been formally seized or placed under US control after the boarding. Officials said only that forces conducted a "right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding," a procedure used under international maritime law to inspect suspect ships on the high seas.

Video released by the US military showed personnel approaching and boarding the tanker at sea.

The latest interdiction comes amid US efforts to isolate Venezuela’s oil industry and prevent exports outside approved channels. The Trump administration ordered a blockade of sanctioned tankers in December, after which US forces began tracking ships believed to be carrying Venezuelan crude across multiple oceans.

Shipping intelligence analysts say at least a dozen tankers attempted to flee Venezuelan waters in early 2026 in defiance of the oil blockade. The US military has warned that sanctioned vessels cannot evade enforcement by changing flags, disabling tracking systems or rerouting cargoes.

- Ends

With inputs from agencies

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