The U.S. military forces have boarded another sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean, the Pentagon said Sunday, underscoring President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illicit Venezuelan oil exports.
The tanker, identified as the Veronica III, was monitored as it fled Venezuelan waters following the January capture of former President Nicolás Maduro during a U.S. military operation.
We defend the Homeland forward. Distance does not protect you.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) February 15, 2026
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/Tran3cLR9g
Defense officials said American forces carried out a right-of-visit and maritime interdiction after the vessel attempted to evade a U.S.-ordered quarantine on sanctioned tankers imposed in December.
According to the Treasury Department, the Veronica III was under U.S. sanctions tied to Iran and had previously sailed under a Panamanian flag that was revoked in late 2024. Tracking firm TankerTrackers.com reported the ship departed Venezuela with nearly two million barrels of crude and fuel oil.
The Pentagon did not confirm whether the tanker was formally seized. The incident follows a similar boarding of another tanker last week.
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Daniel Pomerantz
Project Syndicate
