U.S. naval forces boarded the sanctioned oil tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean on February 24, marking the third such interdiction targeting vessels transporting illicit Venezuelan crude. The operation took place off the Maldives.
The seizure follows earlier interceptions of the tankers Aquila II and Veronica III, which were also stopped in the Indian Ocean after departing Venezuela. U.S. authorities said the vessels were part of a flotilla believed to be carrying Venezuelan crude likely destined for China.
MV Bertha had been tracked from Venezuela across the Caribbean and into the Indian Ocean before being stopped. The 305,442-dwt VLCC reportedly departed Venezuela in January carrying approximately 1.9 million barrels of heavy crude, according to Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA).
The vessel was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2024 for involvement in the illicit transport of Iranian oil, activities said to date back to at least 2022. OFAC linked the tanker to Shanghai Legendary Ship Management Company Limited and identified it as part of Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
The tanker has reportedly operated under aliases including Monica S and has faced allegations of false-flag operations. Maritime Cook Islands previously stated that it canceled the vessel’s registry in November 2024, prior to U.S. sanctions being imposed.
U.S. authorities have intensified enforcement actions against sanctioned maritime trade routes since late 2024. According to public reports, at least ten tankers have been stopped since December in connection with Venezuelan oil exports. Some vessels have reportedly been released, while others remain under investigation.
Officials reiterated that international waters would not serve as a safe haven for sanctioned actors, emphasizing continued maritime monitoring and interdiction efforts across key global shipping routes.
