U.S. Forces Seize Sanctioned Tanker Veronica III in Indian Ocean Following Transoceanic Pursuit
WASHINGTON — U.S. military forces have intercepted and seized the oil tanker Veronica III in the Indian Ocean, concluding a long-range surveillance operation that tracked the vessel from the Caribbean Sea. The Pentagon confirmed the operation on Sunday, stating that the vessel was part of a “shadow fleet” transporting sanctioned crude oil.
The seizure marks a significant escalation in American efforts to enforce international sanctions against illicit maritime trade. According to defense officials, the Veronica III had been monitored for weeks as it attempted to evade U.S. patrols. The vessel, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), was reportedly carrying a cargo of illicit oil in defiance of established trade restrictions.
“The vessel tried to defy the quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon said in a statement released shortly after the operation. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”
Video footage released by the Department of Defense shows U.S. personnel boarding the tanker from helicopters and surface vessels. The operation, described as a “right-of-visit” and maritime interdiction, was reportedly conducted without incident.
The Veronica III has a documented history of skirting international sanctions. Maritime intelligence agencies have linked the tanker to the transport of oil from Russia, Venezuela, and Iran in recent years. Known as a “shadow fleet” vessel, it frequently operates with its transponder switched off or manipulates its location data to obscure its movements—a tactic known as “spoofing.”
The tanker is Panamanian-flagged and is listed under the management of companies that have previously faced scrutiny from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Officials stated that the ship had been transporting oil on behalf of sanctioned state entities, utilizing complex ship-to-ship transfer networks to disguise the origin of the crude.
This incident follows a series of intensified maritime enforcement actions aimed at disrupting the revenue streams of sanctioned regimes. The tracking of the Veronica III from the Atlantic basin, around the Cape of Good Hope, and into the Indian Ocean demonstrates the expanding reach of U.S. maritime interdiction capabilities.
“International waters are not a sanctuary for illicit activity,” a U.S. defense official told reporters on condition of anonymity. “This operation confirms that we can and will enforce sanctions compliance globally.”
The ultimate disposition of the vessel and its cargo remains to be determined. The Veronica III is currently being held under U.S. control while authorities conduct a full assessment of the onboard cargo and documentation.
* streamlinefeed.co.ke
* pbs.org
* theguardian.com
* united24media.com
* independent.co.uk
* maritime-executive.com
* nv.ua
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* opensanctions.org
* gur.gov.ua
