US Seizes Sixth Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker in Caribbean

Thu Jan 15 2026 21:31:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a continuing crackdown on sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipping, the US military has seized the Veronica, marking its sixth capture of a tanker linked to Venezuela's oil operations, amid rising tensions surrounding the country's resources.

The US military successfully captured the Veronica tanker in the Caribbean Sea as part of an initiative to curtail Venezuelan oil exports. This action follows recent military activities against Venezuela, with implications for Washington's dealings with Caracas and the upcoming meeting between Trump and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

The US has seized a sixth tanker in the Caribbean Sea in its ongoing efforts to control exports of Venezuelan oil, officials say.

The vessel, Veronica, was boarded in a predawn operation without incident as it was defying President Donald Trump's quarantine of sanctioned vessels, said the US military.

The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully, the Southern Command stated.

In recent months, military pressure against Venezuela intensified, coinciding with President Trump's plans to leverage the country's vast oil reserves.

The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, according to US Southern Command's social media updates.

Footage released by the military showed Marines and sailors conducting the operation effectively.

According to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com, Veronica, a crude oil tanker registered under a Guyanese flag, departed from Venezuelan waters in early January.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlighted the coordination of the operation with military and other governmental departments, asserting that the Coast Guard executed the mission in accordance with international law.

The crackdown on the so-called dark fleet, which includes over 1,000 vessels transporting sanctioned oil, appears to be ongoing as the US collaborates with Venezuela’s interim government to manage oil exports.

Just a day prior, a US official confirmed the successful sale of Venezuelan oil worth $500 million, indicating a strategic pivot in the US approach to Venezuelan energy resources.

President Trump has also encouraged oil executives to invest significantly in Venezuela's energy sector, emphasizing the need for improvements to attract foreign capital.

This latest seizure coincides with a scheduled meeting between Trump and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, whom the president has praised as a freedom fighter while expressing hesitance regarding her potential leadership post following a regime change in Venezuela.