US Military Boards Another Sanctioned Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean

The vessel was tracked from the Caribbean as part of efforts to target illicit Venezuelan oil shipments.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The U.S. military has boarded another sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Veronica III, after tracking the Panamanian-flagged vessel from the Caribbean Sea. This is part of the U.S. government's ongoing efforts to target illicit oil shipments connected to Venezuela, which has faced sanctions on its oil exports for several years.

Why it matters

The U.S. has been aggressively targeting Venezuela's oil trade as part of its broader pressure campaign against the Maduro regime. Boarding and seizing sanctioned tankers is a key tactic to disrupt Venezuela's ability to smuggle its oil into global supply chains and generate revenue.

The details

According to the Pentagon, the Veronica III tried to "defy President Trump's quarantine" on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers by attempting to slip away from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. However, U.S. forces were able to track the vessel and conduct a "right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding" to shut down the illicit oil shipment.

  • The U.S. military boarded the Veronica III overnight.

The players

Veronica III

A Panamanian-flagged oil tanker that was boarded by U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean after being tracked from the Caribbean. The vessel is under U.S. sanctions related to Iran.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president who ordered a quarantine of sanctioned oil tankers in December 2025 as part of efforts to pressure the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

Nicolás Maduro

The former president of Venezuela who was apprehended in January 2026 during an American military operation, after Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years.

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The takeaway

The U.S. military's boarding of the Veronica III is the latest in a series of actions targeting Venezuela's ability to circumvent sanctions and sell its oil on the global market. These efforts are part of the broader U.S. pressure campaign against the Maduro regime.