U.S. Forces Board Another Tanker in Expanding Venezuela Oil Crackdown
In a display of escalating tensions, U.S. forces have boarded a second oil tanker in a week, this time in the Indian Ocean. The action comes as part of a broader strategy to enforce what Washington has dubbed a 'quarantine' on tankers carrying sanctioned crude oil from Venezuela. The U.S. Ministry of War reported the incident, stating that U.S. forces conducted a 'right-of-visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding' of the Veronica III in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
According to the Pentagon, the vessel was attempting to defy President Trump's quarantine measures, which were imposed on Venezuelan oil exports. The U.S. has been tracking the tanker from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closing the distance and taking decisive action. The Pentagon emphasized that no other nation possesses the reach, endurance, or determination to undertake such operations. They declared, 'International waters are not a sanctuary. We will find you and deliver justice, whether by land, air, or sea. The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of movement in the maritime domain.'
This seizure follows the earlier capture of the Aquila II, another tanker accused of violating the same quarantine. The U.S. oil quarantine, akin to a blockade, has significantly disrupted Venezuela's oil industry. By the end of last year, state oil firm PDVSA was forced to shut down wells due to a lack of storage space for the crude oil it produced. In January, reports emerged indicating that PDVSA had found a way around the blockade, with tankers setting off in 'dark mode,' according to TankerTrackers.com data. However, the U.S. has continued to seize tankers, with seven captured so far, despite the dark fleet's efforts.
The global dark fleet, according to a U.S. Coast Guard official, consists of approximately 800 vessels. This ongoing crackdown has sparked debates about the legality and implications of such actions, inviting discussions on the future of international oil trade and the role of global powers in enforcing sanctions.
