Trump says US has received 80m barrels of Venezuelan oil; 3rd tanker seized

US military forces boarded the Bertha, a Venezuela-linked oil tanker, in the Indian Ocean, marking the tenth such interdiction by the Trump administration since December. The Pentagon stated the vessel was tracked from the Caribbean Sea and was targeted due to its connection to illicit Venezuelan oil. US Southern Command indicated the Bertha was operating in defiance of the US quarantine of sanctioned vessels and attempted to evade authorities. While not formally seized, the tanker was placed under US control, similar to two previous boardings in the Indian Ocean. The operation aims to disrupt oil sales connected to the Venezuelan government.

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.