Pentagon officials announced Tuesday that American forces have intercepted a third oil tanker in the Indian Ocean following a lengthy pursuit that began in Caribbean waters, part of continuing operations to disrupt illegal Venezuelan oil trafficking.
The U.S. Southern Command reported through social media that military personnel conducted an overnight boarding of the tanker Bertha, describing the action as “a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”
According to the command’s statement, “The vessel was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean and attempted to evade. From the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, we tracked it and stopped it.”
For years, Venezuela has operated under American oil sanctions, using a network of illegally flagged vessels to secretly transport crude oil into international markets. In December, President Trump implemented a quarantine targeting these sanctioned tankers to increase pressure on Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro, who was later captured in January during a U.S. military operation.
Treasury Department records show the Bertha operates under a Cook Islands flag and faces American sanctions due to connections with Iran.
Pentagon footage released publicly shows military helicopters approaching the oil tanker during the operation.
The current Republican administration has been confiscating these vessels as part of a comprehensive strategy to gain control over Venezuelan oil resources. Officials did not specify whether the Bertha has been officially seized and placed under American authority.
Maduro now faces charges in the United States for allegedly collaborating with drug trafficking organizations to smuggle thousands of tons of cocaine into American territory, though he has entered a not guilty plea.
