U.S. Coast Guard and military forces seized a sixth sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, boarding the vessel named Veronica in an operation conducted with troops launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced. The ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of a U.S.-imposed quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the region, Noem said.

The Veronica is the fourth sanctioned tanker captured since U.S. forces removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise overnight raid nearly two weeks ago. The operation is part of the Trump administration’s stated campaign to control Venezuela’s oil production, refining, and global distribution network.

U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford took part in the boarding alongside a Coast Guard tactical team. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”

Several government social media accounts posted brief videos that appeared to show parts of the capture. Black-and-white footage showed at least four helicopters approaching the vessel before hovering over the deck while armed troops descended by rope. At least nine people were visible on the deck.

Ship’s History and Registration

The Veronica last transmitted its location on January 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to data the ship transmitted at the time, it was partially filled with crude.

The vessel is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves oil cargoes in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to its registration data, the ship has also been known as the Gallileo and was owned and managed by a company in Russia. A tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the Treasury Department for being associated with a Russian company moving illicit oil cargoes.

Tankers Defied Quarantine

Days before its capture, the Veronica became one of at least 16 tankers that left the Venezuelan coast in defiance of the U.S. quarantine, according to Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com. Madani said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ship movements.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Noem declined to say how many sanctioned tankers U.S. forces are currently tracking or whether the government is monitoring freighters beyond the Caribbean Sea. “I can’t speak to the specifics of the operation, although we are watching the entire shadow fleet and how they’re moving,” she said.

Oil Revenue Objectives

Administration officials have described the seizures as part of an effort to generate revenue and rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry. Trump met with oil company executives last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution infrastructure. The administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

Noem and military officials framed Thursday’s seizure in law-enforcement terms. “There is no outrunning or escaping American justice,” Noem said.