The U.S. Navy boarded a Panamanian-flagged tanker in the Indian Ocean, enforcing oil sanctions against Venezuela and associated networks. The vessel, the Veronica III, was allegedly carrying illicit crude and fuel oil. This action signifies an escalation of U.S. efforts to disrupt illicit oil flows and enforce sanctions, with officials emphasizing that international waters do not offer sanctuary to sanctioned vessels.
The boardings marked an escalation in U.S. enforcement of oil sanctions targeting Venezuela and associated networks, signaling that distance and international waters may not shield vessels accused by Washington of moving illicit crude.
The department said U.S. forces conducted a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” on the Veronica III in the Indian Ocean.is a Panamanian-flagged tanker designated under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. TankerTrackers.com said the vessel left Venezuela on Jan. 3—the day Maduro was captured—with nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, and has been involved with Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil movements since 2023, AP reported.According to U.S. officials, the operations sought to enforce a Trump administration “quarantine” on sanctioned vessels tied to Venezuela and disrupt illicit oil flows involving a network of falsely flagged or sanctioned tankers.after pursuing it from the Caribbean, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying the tanker was operating in defiance of a U.S. “quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.” Reuters reported the ship departed Venezuelan waters in early January carrying about 700,000 barrels of heavy crude bound for China, according to PDVSA schedules."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. No other nation has the reach, endurance, or will to do this. International waters are not sanctuary. By land, air, or sea, we will find you and deliver justice. The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of movement in the maritime domain.""The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality. The Coast Guard will seize sanctioned oil tankers, enforce U.S. and international law, and eliminate these funding streams for illicit activity including narco-terrorism."was being held pending a U.S. decision, leaving the disposition of both vessels unresolved as of Sunday. Further interdictions are possible under the stated policy that sanctioned tankers operating in defiance of U.S. restrictions will be intercepted, but the DOD has not confirmed additional targets., ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not"both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you., you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations.
Venezuela Sanctions Oil Maritime Enforcement International Waters
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US military boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from the CaribbeanThe U.S. military says it's boarded another sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean.
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US military boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from the CaribbeanThe U.S. military says it's boarded another sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean.
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U.S. military boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from the CaribbeanThe Associated Press
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