The United States military has boarded a second oil tanker in the Indian Ocean as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt illicit oil shipments linked to Venezuela, the Pentagon confirmed Sunday. The boarding of the Panamanian-flagged vessel, the Veronica III, follows a similar action last week involving the Aquila II, as the US continues to enforce sanctions and exert pressure following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.
The operation underscores the Trump administration’s aggressive strategy to target Venezuela’s oil industry, a key source of revenue for the Maduro government. US sanctions have crippled Venezuela’s oil exports for years, leading the country to rely on a network of tankers operating under false flags to circumvent restrictions and smuggle crude oil into global markets. In December, President Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers, a move intended to further tighten the screws on Maduro before his subsequent apprehension.
According to a statement released by the Department of Defense on X (formerly Twitter), US forces conducted a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” on the Veronica III after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea. “The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine – hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon stated. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.” A video posted alongside the statement showed US troops boarding the tanker.
The Veronica III is currently under scrutiny as a vessel sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control due to its alleged connections to Iran, as reported by the Associated Press. TankerTrackers.com, a maritime tracking organization, reported Sunday that the vessel departed Venezuela on January 3rd – the same day Maduro was taken into custody – carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil. “Since 2023, she’s been involved with Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil,” the organization stated on X.
Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, told the Associated Press in January that satellite imagery and photographic evidence indicated at least 16 tankers left the Venezuelan coast in an attempt to evade the imposed quarantine. This mass exodus followed the US military operation that led to Maduro’s capture and transfer to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking charges in New York.
The Pentagon has not yet disclosed whether the Veronica III has been formally seized or placed under US control. When asked for further details, a Pentagon spokesperson told the Associated Press they had no additional information beyond the initial statement. The fate of the Aquila II, boarded last week, remains undecided, with a defense official stating the ship is currently being held while its status is determined.
This latest action builds on the Trump administration’s broader effort to gain control of Venezuela’s oil resources. The administration has accused Maduro of flooding the US with drugs and gang members, and has designated Venezuelan criminal groups, including Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), according to the BBC. The US has too doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture.
The situation in Venezuela remains volatile following Maduro’s capture. Delcy Rodríguez, the former Vice President, has been sworn in as interim president and has reportedly expressed willingness to cooperate with Washington’s reconstruction plans. Though, widespread uncertainty and fear persist among the Venezuelan population, with supporters of Maduro viewing his capture as a kidnapping and concerns about potential government repression remaining high.
The US military’s continued pursuit of tankers suspected of carrying illicit Venezuelan oil signals a sustained commitment to enforcing sanctions and disrupting the flow of revenue to the Maduro regime. The long-term implications of these actions, and the ultimate fate of the Veronica III and Aquila II, remain to be seen. The situation will likely continue to be closely monitored by international observers as the US navigates a complex geopolitical landscape in the region.
What comes next will depend on the outcome of the investigations into the Veronica III and Aquila II, and the continued cooperation – or lack thereof – from the interim Venezuelan government. The US strategy regarding Venezuela’s oil industry will undoubtedly be a key factor in shaping the country’s future.
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