The United States has seized a sixth oil tanker in the Caribbean as it steps up efforts to clamp down on Venezuelan oil exports, according to US officials.
The latest vessel, the Veronica, was boarded in a pre-dawn operation that the US military said was carried out “without incident.” Officials said the tanker was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s declared “quarantine of sanctioned vessels.”
“The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully,” the US Southern Command said in a statement.
The seizure comes amid an aggressive US campaign following recent military strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. President Trump has since signalled his intention to tap into Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
In a post on social media, Southern Command described the Veronica as “the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine” and shared video footage showing US Marines and sailors boarding the ship.
The Veronica, a crude oil tanker sailing under a Guyanese flag, left Venezuelan waters empty in early January, according to shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com. Records from the International Maritime Organization show the vessel was previously registered in Russia under different names.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the seizure was carried out with “close coordination” between the US Coast Guard, the military, and officials from the state and justice departments.
“Our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law,” Noem said.
The move underscores Washington’s continued crackdown on the so-called “dark fleet” — a network of more than 1,000 vessels used to transport sanctioned oil. The US is working with Venezuela’s interim authorities to bring the country’s oil exports under tighter control.
The seizure also follows confirmation that the US has completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil since the crackdown began, a deal reportedly worth $500 million (£373 million).
Last week, President Trump urged oil executives at the White House to invest up to $100 billion in Venezuela’s energy sector. Industry leaders responded cautiously, saying major reforms would be needed before the country could become an attractive investment destination.
The blockade has already had a sharp impact on Venezuela’s oil exports. According to Matt Smith, head of US analysis at energy data firm Kpler, only ships linked to Chevron and headed for the United States are currently operating normally.
“As a result, loadings have dropped by about half this month, to roughly 400,000 barrels per day,” Smith said.
The Veronica, a relatively small tanker owned by a sanctioned entity, was among about 17 ships that attempted to breach the blockade earlier this month, Kpler reported.
Smith said it was unclear why vessels from the dark fleet would risk seizure, but pointed to the financial pressure involved. “If a tanker is meant to be moving crude and can’t get through, that’s money lost,” he said.
He added that the US quarantine has created a supply bottleneck, particularly affecting shipments that would otherwise be headed to China. However, as the US begins selling Venezuelan oil itself, there are signs the situation is shifting, with some tankers now diverting to the Bahamas for storage.
The latest seizure came just hours before President Trump was due to meet Venezuela’s opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, at the White House.
Trump has previously praised Machado as a “freedom fighter” but has rejected calls for her to lead Venezuela following Maduro’s removal, arguing she lacks sufficient domestic support. Instead, he has backed Delcy Rodríguez, the country’s former vice-president, to head the interim administration.
Trump has described Rodríguez as an “ally,” and she has not been charged with any crimes by US authorities.
Machado is expected to use her meeting with Trump to argue that backing Rodríguez is a mistake and that her opposition coalition should be given control of Venezuela’s political transition.
A Venezuelan government envoy, too, is expected to travel to Washington on Thursday to meet US officials and take initial steps towards reopening the country’s embassy, the New York Times reported.
“The emissary is reported to be a close ally and friend of the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, who has been described as “extremely co-operative” by the White House.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the $500m energy deal was struck in large part because of help from Rodriguez.
She said the interim president had also confirmed that Venezuela would be releasing political prisoners from Venezuela.
“There were five Americans who were recently released this week as well,” Leavitt said.
“So, the president likes what he’s seeing. And we’ll expect that co-operation to continue.”