On Sunday, the Department of War (DOW) announced that U.S. forces intercepted a ship in the Indo-Pacific region. The vessel was attempting to breach a quarantine directive put in place by the Trump administration.
According to a statement shared on the platform X, the DOW reported that the ship, named Veronica III, was boarded without any issues. This operation occurred within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The official communication indicated, “The vessel sought to bypass President Trump’s quarantine, but we tracked its movements from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. We closed in and halted its mission. No other nation possesses the reach, stamina, or resolve to achieve this.”
The statement further emphasized, “International waters offer no refuge. Whether by land, air, or sea, we will locate and bring justice to those who defy us. The Department of War is committed to restricting the movement of unlawful actors and their associates in maritime regions.”
On February 15, 2026, U.S. forces conducted a maritime interdiction and boarding operation against Veronica III, without incident, in the INDOPACOM area after it reportedly attempted to violate President Trump’s quarantine. (Source: X/@DeptofWar)
This operation involving the Veronica III marks the latest in a series of notable maritime seizures by the U.S. military. These actions are part of efforts to enforce sanctions and restrict the export of Venezuelan oil.
President Donald Trump announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela in mid-December, as Washington increased its naval presence in the Caribbean to put pressure on now-former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
According to OpenSanctions, the Veronica III is listed on the U.S. Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals sanctions list.
U.S. forces conduct a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding of the Veronica III in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility after the vessel allegedly tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine, Feb. 15, 2026. (X/@DeptofWar)
The tanker, a large crude oil carrier built in 2006 and flagged in Panama, has been linked to the transport of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of sanctioned Iranian oil and is affiliated with a Chinese ship-management company that has also been sanctioned.
OpenSanctions notes that the ship has previously sailed under different names and flags as part of efforts to evade sanctions and disguise its activities at sea.
The Veronica III was among the vessels sanctioned by Treasury in December 2024 as part of a broader action targeting 35 other entities and tankers involved in transporting illicit Iranian oil to foreign markets.
