U.S. Coast Guard Seizes Tanker for Violating Sanctions on Venezuelan Oil

The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Thursday that they have intercepted a tanker in the Caribbean that breached U.S. sanctions regarding Venezuelan oil exports. This recent seizure adds to a growing list since the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.

In a pre-dawn operation, the ship, identified as the M/T Veronica, was boarded without any incident. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared a post on social media, which included a video of part of the vessel’s capture.

The black-and-white video footage depicted a helicopter hovering over the merchant ship as armed troops descended on ropes.

A social media announcement from U.S. Southern Command confirmed that Marines and sailors were deployed from the USS Gerald R. Ford as part of this operation.

“The Guyanese-flagged tanker, which was found to be violating sanctions, was seized near the Venezuelan coast in the southern Caribbean Sea,” the post stated.

The operation was attributed to the collaboration between the U.S. Coast Guard and troops from Joint Task Force Southern Spear (JTF-SS). The tactical team responsible for boarding the ship had come from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, highlighting the joint effort between the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.

As with previous operations, a Coast Guard team carried out the boarding and seizure of the vessel.

The M/T Veronica is now flagged under Guyana and is part of a shadow fleet that is accused of transporting oil in defiance of U.S. sanctions.

According to registration data, the tanker is connected to a Russian company. Notably, a vessel with a similar registration had previously operated under the name Pegas, which had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for carrying illegal oil from Russia.

This incident marks the sixth seizure by the U.S. military in efforts to control Venezuelan oil production and distribution, as stated in reports related to President Trump’s administration’s policies.

Since the shift in governance in Venezuela, there have been efforts to capitalize on the country’s extensive oil reserves. Recently, officials revealed that the U.S. has finalized its first sale of Venezuelan crude oil, amounting to $500 million.