U.S. forces seized an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean, saying the vessel attempted to evade a U.S. quarantine order issued by President Donald Trump, according to a statement posted by the Department of War on their social media.
“Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility,” the department said. “The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine — hoping to slip away. We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”
We defend the Homeland forward. Distance does not protect you.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) February 15, 2026
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/Tran3cLR9g
The statement said the operation took place in international waters and did not result in injuries or resistance. “International waters are not sanctuary. By land, air, or sea, we will find you and deliver justice,” the department added.
Heroes 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💪🏽
— Jessica (@JessicaMattJoe) February 15, 2026
Maritime tracking group TankerTrackers said the vessel, identified as the Veronica III, departed Venezuela on Jan. 3 with about 1.9 million barrels of crude oil and fuel oil. The group said the ship has been linked since 2023 to oil movements involving Russia, Iran and Venezuela and is also known by the alias “DS Vector,” according to its post on social media.
VERONICA III (9326055) departed Venezuela on 2026-01-03 (same day as Maduro's capture) with a total of around 1.9 million barrels of crude oil and fuel oil. Since 2023, she's been involved with Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil. We know her by her zombie alias; DS VECTOR. https://t.co/zcTDiqdZGA pic.twitter.com/FWt1P8oPYX
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) February 15, 2026
The Department of War said the interdiction was intended to deny what it described as illicit actors freedom of movement at sea. “No other nation has the reach, endurance, or will to do this,” the department said, adding that the United States would continue to conduct operations “by land, air, or sea” to enforce its maritime policies.
U.S. officials did not immediately disclose the vessel’s destination, cargo disposition, or whether any individuals were detained following the boarding. Further details on the legal basis for the seizure were not provided in the statement.
