US boards second Venezuela-linked tanker in Indian Ocean over sanctions
US boards second Venezuela-linked tanker in Indian Ocean over sanctions
The US says the Veronica III violated a quarantine on Venezuelan oil shipments, marking another maritime interdiction in international waters.
US forces have boarded a second oil tanker linked to Venezuela’s oil shipments, the Veronica III, in the Indian Ocean after tracing the vessel from the Caribbean. The operation is described by the Pentagon as a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding, part of Washington’s ongoing effort to curb sanctioned Venezuelan oil exports. The Veronica III, which departed Venezuela on January 3, carries a reported 1.9 million barrels of crude and has been tied to a network moving oil tied to Russia, Iran and Venezuela since 2023, according to monitoring groups. The Pentagon said distance is no shield in international waters and warned that no nation has the reach to evade justice when sanctions are involved.
Details on whether the ship was seized or allowed to continue its voyage were not immediately released. This marks the second such boarding in the Indian Ocean in a week, following a prior interception of another sanctioned tanker, the Aquila II. US authorities have emphasized that the operation is intended to enforce sanctions and to cut off revenue sources for the Venezuelan regime. The broader effort comes amid a wider push in Washington to pressure Caracas amid political turmoil and regional tensions.
Observers say maritime sanctions rely on global cooperation, given the vastness of sea lanes. The Veronica III remains under Treasury sanctions, and its owners could face penalties in the coming days as investigators examine its cargo chain. The episodic nature of these interventions signals the persistence of US efforts to police sanctioned oil routes, even far from home waters.
