U.S. Forces Intercept Sanctioned Tanker in Indian Ocean for Illicit Oil

In a strategic operation to combat illicit oil trading, U.S. military forces have intercepted another sanctioned oil tanker, this time in the Indian Ocean. This operation is part of a broader effort aimed at disrupting the flow of Venezuelan oil that bypasses U.S. sanctions.

The economic sanctions have long targeted Venezuela’s oil industry, pushing the nation to utilize a network of deceptively flagged tankers to distribute oil internationally. Former President Donald Trump had previously enforced a maritime quarantine on these vessels to exert pressure on then-leader Nicolás Maduro, who was subsequently apprehended in a military operation earlier this year.

In a recent development, the U.S. Defense Department announced via a post on X that the Veronica III was boarded as part of a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” operation. The tanker, which had departed Venezuelan waters following Maduro’s capture, was tracked from the Caribbean to its interception point in the Indian Ocean.

“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon declared. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.” The Pentagon also released video footage showcasing U.S. troops boarding the tanker.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Veronica III sails under a Panamanian flag and is currently under U.S. sanctions connected to Iran. Reports from TankerTrackers.com reveal that the vessel left Venezuela on January 3 with an estimated 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, coinciding with Maduro’s capture.

“Since 2023, she’s been involved with Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil,” noted TankerTrackers.com. The organization’s co-founder, Samir Madani, utilized satellite and surface-level imagery to identify at least 16 tankers leaving Venezuela in violation of the imposed quarantine.

This boarding activity forms a part of the Trump administration’s larger strategy to control Venezuelan oil resources. While the Pentagon’s post did not confirm whether the Veronica III was seized, it was noted that no further details were available regarding its status.

In a related event, the U.S. military also boarded the Aquila II in the Indian Ocean last week. That vessel remains in custody while U.S. authorities deliberate its fate, according to an anonymous defense official.