• U.S. military boarded the sanctioned tanker Veronica III in the Indian Ocean.
• The tanker was tracked from the Caribbean, suspected of aiding Venezuela's oil exports.
• This marks the second interception of Venezuelan-linked tankers in just over a week.
• President Trump initiated a blockade of sanctioned tankers to pressure Nicolás Maduro.
• The Pentagon warns that no distance can protect violators of U.S. sanctions.

U.S. military forces boarded the sanctioned oil tanker Veronica III in the Indian Ocean after tracking its journey from the Caribbean Sea. This operation is part of ongoing efforts to target illicit oil linked to Venezuela, which has faced U.S. sanctions for several years. The Pentagon reported this action on Sunday, emphasizing the long-term strategy to restrict Venezuelan oil exports, which have been conducted through a network of falsely flagged tankers. Following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January during a military operation, several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast, including the Veronica III, which departed with nearly two million barrels of crude oil on January 3, coinciding with Maduro's arrest, according to Los Angeles Times, BBC, and South China Morning Post.

The operation, defined as "a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding," involved U.S. forces intercepting the vessel amidst a broader crackdown on sanctions evasion by Venezuela. The Pentagon warned, "Distance does not protect you," underscoring the military's commitment to enforcing sanctions even in international waters. The Veronica III had been reported to be involved in the transport of oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela since 2023, as noted by monitoring organization TankerTrackers.com. The Pentagon has seized several oil tankers recently as part of a larger effort to control Venezuelan oil exports, according to Los Angeles Times, BBC, and South China Morning Post.

In addition to the Veronica III boarding, U.S. forces had previously intercepted another tanker, the Aquila II, in the Indian Ocean. The Pentagon has not disclosed whether the Veronica III was formally seized, leaving some details of its fate uncertain. Pentagon statements indicated that the operation showcased U.S. military capability and resolve in dealing with international oil trafficking, particularly in regard to Venezuelan sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. The U.S. government had described its blockade against sanctioned tankers as necessary to control the illegal oil trade from Venezuela, according to Los Angeles Times, BBC, and South China Morning Post.