WASHINGTON — American naval forces have intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean following an extensive pursuit that began in Caribbean waters, Pentagon officials announced Tuesday.
The vessel, identified as the Bertha, represents the final tanker being pursued from a group of more than sixteen ships that departed Venezuelan waters following the arrest of the nation’s former authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, according to maritime tracking specialists.
This marks the tenth oil tanker interdiction carried out under the Trump administration’s campaign targeting Venezuelan-connected vessels, which launched in early December. Previous operations took place in Caribbean and North Atlantic waters.
U.S. Southern Command announced via social media that American forces conducted an overnight boarding of the Bertha, describing the action as “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”
“The vessel was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean and attempted to evade,” officials stated in the post. “From the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, we tracked it and stopped it.”
A Pentagon source, speaking anonymously about the ongoing operation, explained that like previous Indian Ocean boardings, the Bertha wasn’t formally confiscated but placed under American oversight. The vessel’s ultimate disposition will be decided by the Department of Homeland Security and State Department.
Pentagon footage depicts Navy helicopters launching from an unidentified ship and approaching the oil tanker.
Venezuela has operated under American oil sanctions for years, depending on a covert network of misidentified tankers to transport crude oil into international markets.
President Trump implemented the sanctioned vessel quarantine in December to increase pressure on Maduro prior to his capture in January during an American military mission. The tanker seizures represent part of the Republican administration’s comprehensive strategy to gain control over Venezuelan oil resources.
Treasury Department records show the Bertha carried Cook Islands registration when sanctioned for Iranian connections. However, recent shipping databases indicate the vessel was falsely registered under Curacao’s flag and operated by a Chinese company.
After Maduro’s arrest, at least sixteen tankers departed Venezuelan shores, according to Samir Madani, who co-founded TankerTrackers.com and uses satellite and surface photography to monitor vessel movements.
TankerTrackers.com reported in a February 15th social media update that the Bertha was the sole remaining target from the original sixteen vessels. Madani informed The Associated Press Tuesday that the tanker carried 1.9 million barrels of Merey 16, a Venezuelan crude oil variety.
Madani noted that the ship has previously received Iranian crude through hose transfers from other vessels for Chinese deliveries.
Pentagon representatives stated they had no additional information beyond Southern Command’s social media announcement.
Maduro was transported to the United States to face charges of collaborating with drug organizations to facilitate thousands of tons of cocaine shipments into America. He has entered a not guilty plea.
