The US military has seized the Veronica III tanker, which was carrying oil from Iran and Venezuela.
The US Department of War announced the operation on February 15.
According to the Department of War, the vessel violated the quarantine imposed by US President Donald Trump for ships under sanctions in the Caribbean Sea. The tanker was tracked from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean, where it was stopped without incident. The military has released video footage of the naval operation.
We defend the Homeland forward. Distance does not protect you.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) February 15, 2026
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/Tran3cLR9g
What is known about the tanker Veronica III
The War&Sanctions portal, created by Ukrainian intelligence, notes that the Panamanian-flagged Veronica III has been under US sanctions since December 2024 for illegally transporting Iranian oil. The vessel was likely also transporting Venezuelan oil, satellite images recorded loading in the port of Puerto Jose.
In January 2026, the US military has already detained more than seven tankers, including the Bella 1, Sophia, Olina and Sagitta, as part of a naval blockade of the "shadow fleet" vessels violating sanctions.
Recall that on February 9, the US military boarded the Aquila II tanker in the Indian Ocean.
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