U.S. authorities seized another tanker in the Caribbean on Thursday morning, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said the vessel was operating “in defiance” of President Donald Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned ships in the region. Noem said a Coast Guard tactical team carried out a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Veronica without incident.
What officials say
U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended the tanker without incident. Noem described the Veronica as a “sanctioned ghost fleet” tanker that had previously passed through Venezuelan waters.
Wider context
The seizure is the latest in a string of boardings involving Venezuela-linked tankers in recent weeks, with U.S. officials describing this as the sixth such vessel. It also comes less than two weeks after U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who face federal charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine; both have pleaded not guilty.
Sources:
The Wall Street Journal — “U.S. Forces Seize Sixth Oil Tanker Near Venezuela”
