The U.S. has seized the tanker Veronica in the Caribbean — the sixth sanctioned vessel taken in an operation the administration says targets Venezuelan oil networks. Marines launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and a Coast Guard tactical team boarded the ship; officials reported the seizure "without incident." The Veronica was last tracked off Aruba on Jan. 3 and was partially loaded with crude, and U.S. authorities describe it as part of a shadow fleet moving oil in violation of sanctions.
U.S. Seizes Sixth Sanctioned Tanker 'Veronica' in Caribbean; Officials Cite Links to Venezuela
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House on Thursday in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)
U.S. forces operating in the Caribbean have seized the oil tanker Veronica, the sixth vessel taken in a campaign the Trump administration says targets networks moving Venezuelan oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the Veronica early Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on social media. Officials said the ship had previously transited Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of what President Donald Trump has described as a quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the region.
U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to support the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team. Military spokespeople reported the ship was taken "without incident." Short government video clips posted online showed several helicopters approaching the vessel and armed personnel fast-roping to the deck, where at least nine people were visible.
Ship Details And Background
Tracking data show the Veronica last transmitted its position on Jan. 3, at anchor off Aruba and partially loaded with crude. The vessel is listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is described by officials as part of a so-called "shadow fleet" that moves oil cargoes in ways that can evade sanctions.
Registration records indicate the ship has sailed under other names — including Gallileo — and is owned and managed by a company tied to Russia. A vessel with the same registration previously sailed as Pegas and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for transporting illicit Russian oil.
U.S. Rationale And Next Steps
Officials framed the seizure as law enforcement to uphold U.S. sanctions. Secretary Noem said the repeated captures demonstrate there is "no outrunning or escaping American justice." At a White House briefing, she declined to disclose how many sanctioned vessels are being tracked or whether monitoring extends beyond the Caribbean.
Other senior administration officials have indicated the seizures may also serve an economic purpose: recovering assets and generating revenue to help rebuild Venezuela’s oil sector. The administration has discussed plans to attract roughly $100 billion in investment to repair and upgrade Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and said it expects to sell tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
Note: Details in this account reflect U.S. government statements and publicly posted tracking and registration data. Independent verification of all claims may not be immediately available.
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