US military forces executed a maritime operation to board the sanctioned oil tanker Veronica III in the Indian Ocean after tracking its journey from the Caribbean. The action is part of the broader US strategy to enforce sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry, which has been heavily impacted by US economic measures. The operation comes just days after the tanker departed Venezuela, coinciding with a significant military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the US operation.

According to the Department of War, the intervention was labeled as a "right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding" aimed at enforcing the US sanctions placed on Venezuela’s oil exports. These sanctions were instituted to curb the country's oil production and export, which are essential to its economy, but have often involved the use of illicit means, including the use of false flags for tankers like the Veronica III. The US describes the vessel’s attempted journey as a defiance of the quarantine imposed under President Trump's administration.

This boarding incident underscores the ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela, highlighting the US commitment to undermine the operations of a government it views as authoritarian and illegitimate. As the situation evolves, the implications of these military actions may extend beyond just oil, potentially affecting international trade routes and diplomatic relations within the region as nations respond to US enforcement of its sanctions.