The Pentagon statement on Sunday defined the operation as “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding”. The statement did not say whether the US had seized the vessel, or allowed it to continue on its journey.
“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s quarantine – hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon statement said.
“We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.
“No other nation has the reach, endurance, or will to do this. International waters are not sanctuary. By land, air, or sea, we will find you and deliver justice.”
The Veronica III is currently under sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department.
The Veronica III departed Venezuela on 3 January, according to monitoring group TankerTrackers.com – the same day that the US captured Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro in a raid on his presidential compound in Caracas
The ship was carrying 1.9 million barrels of crude oil at the time of departure, the group says, adding that it is believed to have been involved in the transport of Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil since 2023.