Washington, DC – In a sophisticated military operation spanning continents and oceans, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced the interception and seizure of the oil tanker Veronica 3 in the heart of the Indian Ocean. This was done for attempting to violate the quarantine and maritime blockade imposed by President Donald Trump on vessels linked to sanctioned regimes.
Details of the “interception operation”
The U.S. Department of Defense released a statement via its “X” platform confirming that U.S. forces conducted a boarding, inspection, and maritime intercept of the tanker during nighttime operations in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) area of responsibility.
The statement read: “This vessel attempted to defy President Truamp’s quarantine order in an effort to escape. We tracked it from the Caribbean Sea into the Indian Ocean, where it was stopped without incident.”
The tanker’s record and the “shadow fleet”
The Panamanian-flagged Veronica 3 has been subject to sanctions
by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) since March 2023.
The tanker is linked to Shanghai Future Ship Management
and has been repeatedly involved in transporting crude oil for Iran and Venezuela.
Data from MarineTraffic showed that at 9:00 AM Eastern Time,
the vessel was located in the central Indian Ocean, specifically in an area south of Indonesia.
It departed Venezuelan ports last month under close surveillance by U.S. intelligence.
Washington’s firm messages
The Defense Department statement carried a strongly worded warning, including phrases like “We are defending our homeland” and “Distance does not protect you.” It emphasized that international waters would not be a safe haven for those who violate U.S. laws.
The statement asserted, “We will find you on land, in the air,
and at sea, and we will bring you to justice. The Department of Defense
will deny free movement to illegal agents
and their proxies in the maritime domain.” The department also released
a video documenting the moment U.S. special forces boarded the ship.
Observers believe that the pursuit of ships from the Caribbean to the Indonesian coast
reflects the U.S. logistical capabilities to impose a “global maritime blockade.”
This blockade aims to permanently cut off funding to regimes hostile to Washington.
