US Forces Capture Sixth Oil Transport Vessel Linked to Venezuela

US Capture of the Vessel Veronica

The United States Armed Forces have seized a sixth vessel in the Caribbean, as part of their ongoing efforts to control oil exports from Venezuela, officials announced. The ship, named Veronica, was intercepted during a morning operation "without incident," while violating the "quarantine of sanctioned vessels" imposed by President Donald Trump, stated the US military.

"The only oil that will leave Venezuela will be properly and legally coordinated," said Southern Command. Following the US military operations against Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, Trump has expressed intentions to access the country's vast oil reserves.

The Veronica, a petroleum tanker registered under the Guyanese flag, left Venezuelan waters empty in early January, according to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com. The ship's registration in the International Maritime Organization database shows it was previously registered in Russia under different names. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem remarked on social media that the vessel's capture was executed with "close coordination with our military colleagues," as well as with the state and justice departments.

"Our heroic Coast Guard teams have once again secured a flawlessly executed operation in accordance with international law," Noem added. This suggests that Washington will continue actions against the so-called dark fleet, which comprises more than 1,000 vessels transporting sanctioned oil, while the US collaborates with the interim government of Venezuela to manage the country's oil sales.

The capture of the latest vessel occurred just hours before a meeting between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House. Trump had previously described her as a "fighter for freedom," but dismissed the idea of appointing her to lead Venezuela after Maduro's ousting, arguing she lacks sufficient domestic support.