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By Peter Aitken and Gabe Whisnant
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U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says is linked to Venezuela, marking the latest step in a broader effort to control the country’s oil shipments.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that the Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s quarantine on sanctioned vessels.
This occurs ahead of a high-stakes meeting between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday afternoon.
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Why It Matters
The U.S. has seized or boarded several tankers operating in and around Venezuela as the administration enforces a strict sanctions campaign to control the South American nation's oil exports.
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The effort has come into sharp focus following the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on January 3, after which Trump suggested that some U.S. official will effectively "run" the country until it stabilizes and the oil exports reach an acceptable level and structure.
Trump said Venezuela has agreed to send 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S. for refining and is also cooperating on rebuilding the sector there, including its critical infrastructure.
What To Know
According to U.S. Southern Command, Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to help carry out the operation, with a Coast Guard tactical team conducting the boarding and seizure.
"These operations are backed by the full power of the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS San Antonio (LPD 17), and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28)," Southern Command wrote in a statement posted on X.
"The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully. The [Department of Defense], in coordination with interagency partners, will defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere," the statement added.
The Veronica is the sixth tanker taken as part of the administration’s campaign to control Venezuela’s oil production and distribution, including three since the U.S. removal of Maduro nearly two weeks ago.
The vessels seized so far have been either under U.S. sanctions or part of the "shadow fleet" of unflagged or unregulated ships that look to obscure their origins to move between sanctioned countries such as Iran, Russia, or Venezuela.
What People Are Saying
U.S. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on X, in part: "As we’ve now demonstrated through multiple boardings, there is no outrunning or escaping American justice — period. Our resolve is unshakeable and our mission coordination has never been better. America's Coast Guard remains Always Ready to apply the full force of its unique authorities and specialized capabilities against this threat anywhere, anytime."
Vice President JD Vance last week told Fox News: "The way that we control Venezuela is we control the purse strings, we control the energy resources, and we tell the regime—you’re allowed to sell the oil so long as you serve America's national interests."
Update 1/15/26, 1:47 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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