US seizes sixth sanctioned oil tanker it says has ties to Venezuela
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- U.S. forces seized the oil tanker Veronica in the Caribbean Sea, marking the sixth sanctioned tanker capture linked to Venezuela amid efforts to control the country's oil industry.
- The operation involved U.S. Marines, sailors, and Coast Guard tactical teams deploying from the USS Gerald R. Ford, with the ship seized without incident.
- The Veronica, flying the Guyana flag and part of a "shadow fleet," had previously violated a U.S.-imposed quarantine on sanctioned vessels near Venezuela.
- The tanker has a history of association with Russian companies involved in illicit oil shipments and was previously known as the Gallileo and Pegas.
- The Trump administration views these seizures as law enforcement and as part of a broader strategy to rebuild Venezuela's oil sector,
