The United States military has seized a sixth oil tanker suspected of violating international sanctions as part of an ongoing operation against a global “shadow fleet” used to transport Venezuelan crude.
The vessel, identified as the Aframax tanker Veronica (IMO 9256860), was intercepted in Caribbean waters. According to the U.S. Southern Command, a pre‑dawn boarding of the tanker was carried out “without incident”.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted on social media that Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was apprehended for violating President Trump’s directive on sanctioned vessels.
Veronica has figured prominently in maritime intelligence tracking of the so‑called “shadow fleet.” According to TankerTrackers, the tanker was last observed departing Venezuela’s Amuay terminal on January 3, 2026, in ballast and heading into international waters. Over the past several years, the vessel amassed a record of sanctions‑evasive operations, including at least 10 direct exports of Iranian oil, five ship‑to‑ship transfers involving Iranian cargoes, and two Venezuelan transfers, with this pattern traced back to 2020.
Originally named Pegas, the tanker was designated under U.S. sanctions on February 22, 2022, because it was owned by PSB Lizing OOO, a leasing subsidiary of Russia’s state‑controlled Promsvyazbank (PSB) — an institution designated by the U.S. Treasury for its connections to Russia’s defense‑related and financial sectors. At the time of designation, Veronica was registered in Russia; current maritime databases now list its latest flag state as Guyana, a common practice among shadow fleet vessels that frequently change flags and ownership structures to obscure their operations.
The seizure of Veronica marks the sixth tanker interdicted by U.S. forces in recent weeks as part of an expanding enforcement campaign. Reuters recently reported that U.S. authorities have filed court warrants seeking to seize dozens more tankers tied to Venezuela’s oil trade.
