Washington escalates sanctions enforcement with another long-range tanker interception.
Posting this with Globex oil trade about to open for the new week.
Summary:
- US boards second tanker, intercepting the Panama-flagged Veronica III in the Indian Ocean.
- Operation followed long-distance tracking from the Caribbean amid sanctions enforcement.
- Vessel carried 1.9 million barrels and is sanctioned by the US Treasury.
- Part of broader blockade strategy, targeting Venezuelan oil exports under Trump’s directive.
- Exports sharply curtailed, with loadings reportedly halved since enforcement intensified.
The United States has boarded a second oil tanker linked to Venezuelan exports in the Indian Ocean, escalating enforcement of sanctions aimed at curbing Caracas’ oil trade.
The Pentagon confirmed that US forces conducted what it described as a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” operation against the Panama-flagged tanker Veronica III. The vessel had been tracked from the Caribbean Sea across thousands of nautical miles before US forces intercepted it in the Indo-Pacific region. Officials did not specify whether the ship was seized outright or permitted to continue its voyage following inspection.
Washington said the tanker was operating in defiance of measures imposed under President Donald Trump’s directive to quarantine sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments. The administration has intensified efforts to restrict exports from Venezuela, targeting vessels suspected of transporting crude in violation of US sanctions.
The Veronica III reportedly departed Venezuela on 3 January carrying approximately 1.9 million barrels of crude oil. According to shipping monitors, the vessel has been involved in transporting sanctioned oil, including cargoes linked to Venezuela, Russia and Iran, since 2023. It is currently subject to sanctions from the US Treasury Department.
This marks the second interdiction in the Indian Ocean within a week. US forces previously boarded and inspected the tanker Aquila II, which had also been tracked over long distances. The Pentagon’s messaging stressed that geographic distance would not shield sanctioned shipments from enforcement, underscoring the global reach of US naval operations.
The broader crackdown has significantly curtailed Venezuelan crude exports. Since late last year’s blockade announcement, only shipments associated with Chevron and bound for the United States have continued operating largely uninterrupted. Independent estimates suggest Venezuelan oil loadings have roughly halved in recent months.
The move signals Washington’s willingness to project power well beyond regional waters in order to enforce energy sanctions, reinforcing geopolitical pressure on Caracas and tightening constraints on global flows of sanctioned crude.