Overview
- The Defense Department said forces conducted a “right-of-visit” maritime interdiction and posted video of troops boarding, warning that international waters are not sanctuary.
- Veronica III is Panamanian-flagged, designated by Treasury under Iran-related sanctions, and was deregistered by Panama in December 2024, according to officials and registry records.
- Shipping trackers reported the tanker left Venezuela on January 3 with nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil and has been involved in Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil movements.
- The boarding followed last week’s interception of the Aquila II as the U.S. expands trans-ocean tracking of vessels that fled Venezuelan waters after Maduro’s capture; both ships’ legal statuses remain under review.
- The operation enforces President Trump’s December order targeting sanctioned tankers tied to Venezuela and occurred in the INDOPACOM area after a multi‑ocean pursuit from the Caribbean.