US Forces Board Second Sanctioned Tanker in Major Maritime Operation
The United States military has conducted a significant boarding operation against another sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, following an extensive pursuit that originated in the Caribbean Sea. This action represents a continued escalation in efforts to disrupt illicit oil shipments linked to Venezuela, as confirmed by the Pentagon in a statement released on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Tracking and Interdiction of the Veronica III
According to the Defense Department, U.S. forces boarded the Panamanian-flagged vessel Veronica III overnight, executing what they described as a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding. The operation was part of a broader strategy to enforce sanctions and target shadow fleet activities. The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine—hoping to slip away, the Pentagon stated in a post on X. We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.
Video footage released by the Pentagon visually documented U.S. troops boarding the tanker, underscoring the operational scale. The Veronica III is listed under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control website, highlighting the complex web of international sanctions evasion.
Context of Broader Sanctions and Political Pressure
This incident occurs against a backdrop of prolonged U.S. sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector, which has relied on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. In December, President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers to pressure then-President Nicolás Maduro, prior to Maduro's apprehension in January during an American military operation. The Trump administration has been actively seizing tankers as part of its efforts to gain control over Venezuela's oil resources, though the Pentagon's recent post did not specify whether the Veronica III was formally seized and placed under U.S. control.
Recent Precedents and Ongoing Operations
This boarding follows a similar operation last week, when the U.S. military boarded a different tanker, the Aquila II, also in the Indian Ocean. That vessel is currently being held while its ultimate fate is decided by the United States, according to a defense official who spoke anonymously last week to discuss ongoing decision-making processes. These consecutive actions signal a sustained and aggressive maritime campaign aimed at enforcing sanctions and disrupting illegal oil trade networks.
The strategic implications are profound, as the U.S. leverages military assets to combat economic sanctions evasion on a global scale. The use of tracking from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean demonstrates the extensive reach and coordination involved in these interdiction efforts, potentially setting a precedent for future operations against sanctioned entities.
