U.S. forces seize sixth sanctioned Venezuela-linked oil tanker

U.S. forces seized a sixth oil tanker tied to Venezuelan oil shipments during a pre-dawn operation Thursday, continuing the Trump administration’s stepped-up enforcement campaign in the Caribbean. The vessel, Motor Tanker Veronica, was taken without incident as part of Operation Southern Spear, according to U.S. Southern Command and the Department of Homeland Security.

Southern Command said Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to intercept the tanker. “Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from [the aircraft carrier] USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident,” the command said in a social media post. It added, “The Veronica is the largest tanker operating in defiance of President [Donald] Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” and emphasized that “The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the operation, saying a Coast Guard tactical team carried out the boarding. “Early this morning, a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean,” Noem said, noting the ship had “previously passed through Venezuelan waters” and was operating in violation of U.S. sanctions. Video released by U.S. officials shows helicopters hovering above the vessel as troops fast-roped onto its deck.

The Veronica is the largest tanker seized so far and the latest in a series of interdictions targeting what U.S. officials describe as a “ghost fleet” used to move oil from sanctioned countries. Last week alone, U.S. forces seized three other tankers — the Russian-flagged Marinera in the North Atlantic, along with the Olina and Sophia in the Caribbean.

The seizures come amid broader U.S. efforts to control Venezuela’s oil exports and revenues. Administration officials have said the U.S. is selling the oil cargos taken from the vessels, completing an initial sale worth $500 million and planning additional transactions in the coming weeks. The White House has outlined a strategy to market tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil, with proceeds overseen by the U.S. government.

Officials framed Thursday’s operation as both a legal enforcement action and a warning. Noem said the repeated seizures demonstrate that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice,” while Southern Command described the interdiction as further proof of the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear.

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