US forces interdict another fugitive tanker ship in Indian Ocean

Fox News - WorldCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by Greg Norman-DiamondFebruary 24, 2026 at 04:46 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

US forces intercepted another fugitive tanker ship, the Bertha, in the Indian Ocean. The vessel was flagged by the New York Times as leaving Venezuela's main oil port in early January following a US military operation to capture former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The Department of War announced that US forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Bertha without incident on Tuesday. The ship was operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. Three boats that tried to flee the scene were captured by US forces. The interception is part of an ongoing effort to enforce sanctions against sanctioned actors, including those involved in transporting Iranian oil.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Caribbean ×230% Iran 30% Panama 40% Indian Ocean ×240% Venezuela ×350% Bertha (tanker) 60% Nicolás Maduro (Maduro) ×260% United States ×270% Donald Trump ×280% Veronica III oil tanker ×290%

Keywords

sanctioned oil tanker 90% maritime interdiction 90% us forces 80% sanctions enforcement 70% indian ocean 70% maritime domain 60% oil transport 50% venezuela 50% illicit actors 40%