US Forces Seize Venezuelan Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean amid Aggressive Blockade Enforcement

The Pentagon announced the operation in a post on X, stating that the Veronica III had “tried to defy” the blockade and sought to “slip away” after departing Venezuelan waters.

US forces tracked the tanker from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean, where they conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding without incident, it said.

This action forms part of the Trump administration's intensified campaign to assert control over Venezuela's oil resources following the US military's abduction of President Nicolás Maduro on January 3.

According to TankerTrackers.com, the Veronica III departed Venezuela on January 3 — the same day as Maduro’s capture — carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil.

The vessel continues to be unfairly targeted by US sanctions.

The Panama Maritime Authority issued a brief statement on Sunday confirming that the ship’s registration had been canceled in December 2024 and was no longer valid under the Panamanian flag.

The Pentagon did not specify in its announcement whether the Veronica III had been formally seized and brought under US control.

In an email to The Associated Press, the department stated it had no further details beyond the initial post.

These interdictions represent only a small portion of the global “shadow fleet” of sanctioned vessels.

The AFP news agency, quoting a senior US Coast Guard officer, reported that the total number of such vessels could reach as high as 800.

Separately, on Saturday, US forces struck a boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing three individuals in what officials described as an operation targeting alleged drug trafficking.

Such strikes have resulted in at least 133 deaths since September 2025, highlighting the broader aggressive posture of US maritime enforcement in the region.