American military and security forces have seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, marking the sixth such operation targeting vessels linked to Venezuelan oil exports under U.S. sanctions.
The tanker, named Veronica, was boarded and taken under control in a pre‑dawn operation without incident by a U.S. Coast Guard tactical team working with Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, according to the U.S. Southern Command.
U.S. authorities say the ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters in violation of a quarantine on sanctioned vessels issued by the U.S. administration. It was reportedly sailing under the flag of Guyana and is considered part of a so‑called “shadow fleet” that attempts to evade sanctions and transport oil outside legal channels.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the capture as part of efforts to enforce sanctions and restrict unauthorized Venezuelan oil exports. Officials framed the action as lawful maritime interdiction under the U.S. sanctions regime.
This seizure comes just hours before a planned White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, in a period of heightened diplomatic and enforcement activities surrounding Venezuela’s oil sector.
No injuries or resistance were reported during the boarding, and the operation was carried out in coordination with multiple U.S. agencies.
