Source TOI
CARIBBEAN SEA – In a pre-dawn operation on Thursday, January 15, 2026, U.S. military forces intercepted and seized the Motor Tanker Veronica, a Guyana-flagged vessel suspected of transporting sanctioned Venezuelan crude. This marks the fourth tanker apprehended since the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, and the sixth vessel seized overall since the U.S. implemented its maritime “quarantine” in December.
Details of the Operation
The operation, conducted under Operation Southern Spear, involved a coordinated strike launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
The Boarding: U.S. Marines and Navy sailors, supported by a Coast Guard tactical team, launched from the Ford to board the Veronica via helicopter.
The Vessel: The 815-foot tanker was previously seen in Venezuelan waters and had ceased location transmissions earlier this month to evade detection.
Outcome: U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed the vessel was secured “without incident.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released footage of the raid, describing the tanker as part of a “shadow fleet” attempting to bypass U.S. oversight.
“The world’s criminals are on notice,” Noem stated in a post on X. “There is no safe haven for those who defy American law.”
Geopolitical Stakes
The seizure comes at a critical moment for the region. President Trump is scheduled to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado later today to discuss a $100 billion reconstruction plan for the nation’s energy sector.
Washington has signaled its intent to maintain “indefinite control” over Venezuela’s oil resources to ensure that production and distribution are handled “lawfully” under the oversight of the interim authorities. This aggressive maritime strategy aims to dismantle the logistics networks used by sanctioned states like Russia and Iran to move embargoed oil.
International Reaction
The escalation has met with sharp resistance:
Russia: Moscow recently condemned the seizure of the Russian-flagged Marinera (formerly Bella 1) in the North Atlantic, calling such actions “international piracy.”
Venezuela: While acting officials in Caracas are currently working with U.S. authorities, remnants of the former regime have described the blockade as a violation of maritime law.
U.S. officials maintain that the operations are necessary to cut off funding for “narco-terrorism” and to stabilize the global oil market through sanctioned channels.
