US detains another sanctioned tanker in Indian Ocean
The Pentagon stated this on the social network X, Ukrinform reports.
"Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility," the statement said.
It noted that the vessel "tried to defy President Trump's quarantine" and hoped "to slip away."
"We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.," the statement emphasized.
We defend the Homeland forward. Distance does not protect you.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) February 15, 2026
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/Tran3cLR9g
The Defense Department also warned that it has the "reach, endurance, or will" for such pursuits.
"International waters are not sanctuary. By land, air, or sea, we will find you and deliver justice," the message stressed.
The Pentagon stated that it will "deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of movement in the maritime domain."
According to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the VLCC-class tanker Veronica III was involved in the illegal transportation of hundreds of thousands of metric tons of sanctioned Iranian oil on behalf of the sanctioned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
As Ukrinform previously reported, on January 7 the Pentagon together with the United States Department of Homeland Security detained the sanctioned shadow fleet tanker M/T Sophia in the Caribbean Sea.
Illustrative photo: Shaah Shahidh on Unsplash
