US forces board second Venezuela‑linked oil tanker in Indian Ocean

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Associated PressFebruary 15, 2026 at 05:30 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

US forces boarded the Veronica III, a second Venezuela-linked, Panamanian-flagged oil tanker, in the Indian Ocean on Sunday. The Pentagon stated the boarding was a "right-of-visit, maritime interdiction" to target illicit Venezuelan oil. The US military tracked the tanker from the Caribbean after it allegedly attempted to evade a US quarantine imposed by former President Trump. The Veronica III, already under US sanctions related to Iran, reportedly left Venezuela on January 3 carrying nearly two million barrels of crude oil and fuel oil. The US military had boarded another tanker, the Aquila II, in the Indian Ocean the previous week as part of its efforts to control Venezuela's oil. The fate of the Veronica III is currently undetermined.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Aquila II 30% Office of Foreign Assets Control 35% Iran ×240% Caribbean Sea ×250% Veronica III ×560% Pentagon ×465% Indian Ocean ×370% Nicolás Maduro (Maduro) ×270% Donald Trump ×375% Venezuela ×785% United States ×690%

Keywords

sanctioned oil 90% venezuela 80% oil tanker 80% us military 70% maritime interdiction 70% us sanctions 60% oil smuggling 60% indian ocean 60% veronica iii 50% donald trump 40%