US military boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean

Associated Press (AP)EN 2 min read 100% complete by By BEN FINLEYFebruary 15, 2026 at 11:53 PM

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U.S. military forces boarded the Veronica III, a sanctioned tanker, in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea. The operation, confirmed by the Pentagon, aimed to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, which had been using a shadow fleet to circumvent U.S. sanctions. The boarding was part of President Trump's quarantine of sanctioned tankers, initiated in December to pressure then-President Maduro. The Veronica III, previously Panamanian-flagged but deregistered in December 2024, left Venezuela on January 3 carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil and fuel oil. TankerTrackers.com reported the vessel's involvement with Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil since 2023. The Pentagon has not yet confirmed whether the tanker was formally seized.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

TankerTrackers.com ×240% Iran 40% Panama 40% Caribbean Sea ×250% Nicolás Maduro (Maduro) ×260% Donald Trump ×260% Veronica III ×570% Venezuela ×570% Indian Ocean ×370% Pentagon ×480% United States ×690%

Keywords

oil tanker 100% u.s. military 90% sanctions 80% venezuela 80% indian ocean 70% illicit oil 60% maritime interdiction 60% veronica iii 50% shadow fleet 50% panama-flagged vessel 40%

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Associated Press (AP)

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United States

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oil tanker u.s. military sanctions venezuela indian ocean illicit oil maritime interdiction veronica iii shadow fleet panama-flagged vessel

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