Share and Follow
The U.S. Department of War announced on Sunday that American forces successfully intercepted a vessel in the Indo-Pacific region after it attempted to breach a quarantine directive issued by the Trump administration.
According to a statement posted on X by the Department of War, the ship, identified as Veronica III, was boarded without incident while operating within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
“The vessel sought to challenge President Trump’s quarantine, aiming for a stealthy escape. Our forces tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, narrowed the gap, and effectively halted its progress. No other nation can match our global reach, endurance, or resolve in such operations,” the statement declared.
The statement further emphasized, “International waters offer no refuge. Whether by land, air, or sea, we will locate and bring justice to those who defy us. The Department of War is committed to restricting the freedom of movement for illicit actors and their affiliates in maritime zones.”
On February 15, 2026, U.S. forces conducted a routine right-of-visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding of the Veronica III without any complications in the INDOPACOM area, following allegations that the vessel attempted to defy the quarantine order from President Trump. (Source: X/@DeptofWar)
The Veronica III is the latest in a series of high-profile maritime seizures by the U.S. military aimed at enforcing sanctions and curbing the export of Venezuelan oil.
President Donald Trump announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela in mid-December, as Washington increased its naval presence in the Caribbean to put pressure on now-former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
According to OpenSanctions, the Veronica III is listed on the U.S. Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals sanctions list.
U.S. forces conduct a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding of the Veronica III in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility after the vessel allegedly tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine, Feb. 15, 2026. (X/@DeptofWar)
The tanker, a large crude oil carrier built in 2006 and flagged in Panama, has been linked to the transport of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of sanctioned Iranian oil and is affiliated with a Chinese ship-management company that has also been sanctioned.
OpenSanctions notes that the ship has previously sailed under different names and flags as part of efforts to evade sanctions and disguise its activities at sea.
The Veronica III was among the vessels sanctioned by Treasury in December 2024 as part of a broader action targeting 35 other entities and tankers involved in transporting illicit Iranian oil to foreign markets.