United States forces have boarded another oil tanker in the Indian Ocean. The vessel was sanctioned for carrying Venezuelan oil. This is the latest action in a major maritime crackdown. The Pentagon confirmed the boarding of the Veronica III on Sunday.
The ship is a Panamanian-flagged tanker. It reportedly tried to defy the “quarantine” ordered by President Donald Trump. The Pentagon tracked the ship from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean before moving in. A video shared by officials shows troops boarding the ship from a helicopter.
Tracking the Ship Across the Indian Ocean
The Veronica III set sail from Venezuela on January 3. This was also the day U.S. troops apprehended Venezuelan commander Nicolas Maduro. The ship was transporting close to 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil. Analysts suggest this ship has been associated, or tied, with Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil since 2023.
Venezuela has been using a shadow fleet for oil transport for a long time. These shadow fleet ships often change their registered names to conceal their movements. In December, Trump ordered a complete blockade of such vessels. This was one part of a strategy to gain control over a country’s oil resources.
Part of a Larger Tanker Seizure Operation
Stopping Veronica III is not an isolated event. Last week, U.S. forces stopped the other ship, Aquila II. Under the new policy, more than nine ships have been seized.
Washington has now been managing oil sales from Venezuela which has generated more than $1 billion and is expected to generate another $5 billion in the coming months. However, seized ships are just a small part of the problem. Some estimates state there are nearly 800 “shadow” vessels operating in the world.
Legal and Regional Tensions
As of recent reports, a ship under the U.S. treasury’s sanctions for an Iran-related ship has been removed from the Panama Maritime Authority’s registry; this ship under division has been confirmed as of December 2024, however, the U.S. Pentagon has not verified whether this ship will be remaining in the department as a permanent holding.
The U.S. military is involved in other sea areas too. U.S. troops recently attacked a vessel in the Caribbean. Officials said the vessel involved was trafficking drugs. These kinds of violent acts suggest the U.S. wants to monopolize the most important shipping channels.
