On Sunday, the Pentagon announced that U.S. military forces carried out a raid on a sanctioned oil tanker connected to Venezuela. This operation highlights the ongoing enforcement of international sanctions and the U.S. commitment to upholding these measures.
The Department of War shared dramatic footage online, capturing the precise moment when armed troops descended from helicopters and boarded the tanker, Veronica III, in the Indian Ocean. This swift action followed the vessel’s extensive journey, which began in the Caribbean Sea.
The Veronica III departed from Venezuela on January 3, coinciding with the capture of Nicolas Maduro. It was carrying a substantial load of approximately 1.9 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, as reported by TankerTrackers.com on X, formerly known as Twitter.
According to TankerTrackers.com, the ship has been involved in transporting oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela since 2023, indicating its significant role in circumventing international sanctions.
In a statement released on X, the Department of War detailed the operation, stating, “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.” This action underscores the U.S. resolve in enforcing sanctions and preventing the unauthorized movement of sanctioned goods.
The operation also highlighted an attempt by the vessel to evade former President Trump’s quarantine measures, as it tried to navigate undetected. However, the U.S. military’s vigilance ensured that these efforts were thwarted.
‘We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.
‘No other nation has the reach, endurance, or will to do this.
US troops armed with assault rifles prepare to board a helicopter before raiding the oil tanker
Pictured: The moment US troops approached the Veronica III by helicopter in the Indian Ocean
In photos released by the US Department of War, American soldiers could be seen raiding the Venezuela-linked vessel
‘International waters are not sanctuary. By land, air, or sea, we will find you and deliver justice.’
The department added that it ‘will deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of movement in the maritime domain’.
It shared photos of at least 15 US soldiers on the tanker armed with rifles and night vision equipment.
The Veronica III is a Panamanian-flagged vessel currently under US sanctions related to Iran.
According to Open Sanctions, it is ‘engaged in the illegal transportation of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of sanctioned Iranian oil’.
Sunday’s raid in the Indian Ocean is the latest in a series of maritime interventions by the US military aimed at enforcing sanctions and stopping Venezuelan oil exports.
At least eight other oil tankers have been seized in the past year.
Last week US forces captured the Aquila II, which was also trying to flee quarantine.
US soldiers onboard the Veronica III, which is currently under sanctions related to Iran
Pictured: Helmet or bodycam footage shows the moment the helicopter approaches the Veronica III
The tanker was the eighth ship captured by the US since the Trump administration started its crusade against illegal oil shipments in the Caribbean, hoping to cut off Venezuela’s main profits.
The Aquila II was among the several vessels that attempted to escape the area in early January after Maduro was captured by US special forces.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on X: ‘It ran, and we followed. By land, air or sea, our Armed Forces will find you and deliver justice.
‘You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us.’
The US is understood to have sanctioned the Aquila II on January 10, saying it was transporting Russian oil.
It was already sanctioned by the UK for its connections to Russia.
The Department of War posted footage on X showing US troops raiding the tanker.
‘When the Department of War says quarantine, we mean it,’ the post read.
‘Nothing will stop DOW from defending our Homeland – even in oceans halfway around the world.’
