The United States military seized another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed had ties to Venezuela in a post shared on her X account Thursday (January 15).
“Early this morning, a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean,” Noem wrote in the post, which included ‘unclassified’ footage. “As another sanctioned ghost fleet tanker, Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.
“Through close coordination with our colleagues in the Departments of War, State, and Justice, our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law.
“As we’ve now demonstrated through multiple boardings, there is no outrunning or escaping American justice — period. Our resolve is unshakeable and our mission coordination has never been better. America’s Coast Guard remains Always Ready to apply the full force of its unique authorities and specialized capabilities against this threat anywhere, anytime.”
The Veronica is the sixth tanker seized by U.S. forces in connection with President Donald Trump‘s effort to control Venezuela’s oil production, refining and distribution and the third since he launched a raid to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. The U.S. had previously seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker following a pursuit that lasted more than two weeks and spanned the Atlantic Ocean as part of a “blockade” on Venezuelan oil imports prior to Maduro being captured.
The incident was the first in recent memory in which the U.S. military seized a Russian-flagged vessel. The operation was launched after the Bella-1 slipped through a U.S. maritime blockade in the Caribbean and rejected U.S. Coast Guard efforts to board it.
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