Watch: US Forces Seize Sixth Venezuela‑Linked Oil Tanker In Caribbean Sea
US forces have seized a sixth oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea.
The vessel, MT Veronica, was boarded in a pre-dawn operation on Thursday and taken under control without incident, according to the US Southern Command.
Officials said the tanker had been operating in defiance of a US-imposed quarantine on vessels transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
The Veronica, a Guyana-flagged Aframax crude oil tanker, departed Venezuelan waters empty in early January, according to shipping records from PDVSA and monitoring firm TankerTrackers.com.
The vessel had previously been registered in Russia under other names.
US authorities said the operation involved a coordinated effort by the Coast Guard, US Marines, and sailors, with support from naval assets including the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group.
The action is part of Operation Southern Spear, which was initially focused on counter-narcotics but has since expanded to target sanctioned oil shipments in the Western Hemisphere.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the operation as conducted in accordance with international law, and praised the Coast Guard for its role in executing the seizure.
The seizure follows five previous interceptions of Venezuela-linked vessels since mid-December.
Through #OpSouthernSpear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG through @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.
In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear,… pic.twitter.com/brxO9xXUu3
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 15, 2026
US officials have indicated that further actions may be taken, with court filings seeking the seizure of additional tankers believed to be part of a “dark fleet” used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela, Iran, and Russia.
Analysts have added that most of the seized vessels were operating under false or cancelled flags.
Shipping analysts said loadings have fallen by roughly half this month to around 400,000 barrels per day, with only ships linked to Chevron and heading for the United States continuing normal operations.
Some tankers are now diverting to locations such as the Bahamas for temporary storage.
The seizure of the Veronica took place just before a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has been in discussions with US officials about Venezuela’s political future.
Trump has previously spoken positively about Machado but has said she does not have enough support at home to lead Venezuela.
Instead, the United States has backed an interim administration led by Delcy Rodríguez, the country’s former vice‑president, whom US officials have described as willing to cooperate on energy and political issues.
US officials also confirmed that the country recently completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil under the interim administration, valued at around $500 million, and that Venezuelan authorities had begun releasing political prisoners, including several Americans.
References: Reuters, BBC
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