US Southern Command confirms capture of sixth Venezuela-linked oil tanker
WASHINGTON, DC: US forces seized a sixth oil tanker linked to Venezuelan oil exports during a pre-dawn operation in the Caribbean on Thursday, January 15, according to US Southern Command.
The vessel, identified as Motor/Tanker Veronica, was apprehended without incident as part of Washington’s quarantine of sanctioned tankers operating in and out of Venezuela.
The latest seizure underscored the Trump administration’s escalating enforcement campaign against what officials described as a global shadow fleet moving sanctioned crude.
The operation came the same day President Donald Trump was scheduled to meet Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House.
US military confirms pre-dawn seizure of tanker Veronica
In a statement posted on X, US Southern Command said that Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out the operation in support of the Department of Homeland Security.
Through #OpSouthernSpear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG through @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 15, 2026
In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear,… pic.twitter.com/brxO9xXUu3
“In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident,” the command said.
Southern Command described the vessel as operating in violation of President Trump’s established quarantine on sanctioned tankers in the Caribbean.
“The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again,” the statement said.
Officials added that the enforcement campaign is aimed at restricting unauthorized Venezuelan oil exports. “The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully,” Southern Command said.
US officials have said the tanker was linked to Venezuela’s oil trade and was intercepted in Caribbean waters. The officials added that the seizure brings the total number of Venezuela-linked vessels seized by the United States in recent weeks to six.
The operation also coincided with renewed diplomatic engagement, as President Trump was expected to host María Corina Machado, a prominent Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, later Thursday.
The meeting was widely seen as part of Washington’s broader effort to reshape its approach to Venezuela following the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
Previous seizures and crackdown on shadow fleet
Thursday’s seizure followed a series of tanker interdictions carried out by US forces as part of a broader effort to dismantle what officials called a shadow fleet used to export sanctioned oil.
The vessels targeted in recent weeks have either been under US sanctions or accused of disguising their origins through false flags and manipulated satellite tracking.
A week ago, US authorities seized a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic after a pursuit lasting several weeks.
That operation was conducted with the knowledge and approval of the United Kingdom and drew a sharp response from Moscow, which condemned the seizure as “piracy.”
According to US officials, the tankers intercepted have been linked not only to Venezuela but also to oil exports connected to Russia and Iran.
The Trump administration said the campaign was designed to enforce sanctions and prevent illicit oil shipments that bypass international restrictions.
