The United States government reported this Sunday (15) that it intercepted another oil tanker in the Indian Ocean accused of violating the blockade imposed by the White House on oil operations related to Venezuela and Cuba. The announcement was made by the War Department, which declared that the vessel tried to escape the so-called maritime “quarantine” ordered by President Donald Trump.
According to a message published by the Pentagon on the social network The statement was accompanied by a video of the operation.
According to the United States Military, “the ship attempted to defy the quarantine ordered by President Trump, hoping to escape.” According to the official statement, the vessel was followed from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. “We tracked him from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance and neutralized him. No other nation has the reach, endurance or will to do something like this. International waters are no sanctuary. By land, sea or air, we will find him and bring justice,” the military added.
According to the agency EFEthe Veronica III, identified as a Panamanian-flagged ship by tracking website Marine Traffic, is among around 16 sanctioned oil tankers that allegedly attempted to circumvent the US blockade, as reported by the newspaper The New York Times. Among them is Aquila II, intercepted by Washington on February 9, also in the Indian Ocean.
According to a publication in the same newspaper in early January, the Veronica III had changed its name to “DS Vector” and falsified its coordinates to simulate that it was off the coast of Nigeria, in an attempt to escape American monitoring.
Since December 2025, the United States has applied a maritime “quarantine” on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, as part of Operation Southern Spear. According to official information, at least eight ships have already been boarded or seized. The restrictions also affect oil shipments destined for Cuba.
Trump also ordered the application of tariffs to countries that send oil to Cuba, a mechanism described as part of the pressure strategy that seeks to restrict revenues considered allies of Russia, Iran or Cuba.
