US military forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker named Bertha in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon said, describing the move as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt illicit oil shipments linked to Venezuela. The operation marked the third such interdiction involving a tanker connected to sanctioned Venezuelan oil networks.
According to US Southern Command, American forces carried out a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” operation overnight without incident. Officials said the vessel had attempted to evade a maritime quarantine imposed on sanctioned ships and was operating in violation of restrictions introduced by the Trump administration. The tanker was monitored across multiple regions before being stopped in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.
The Bertha, flagged to the Cook Islands, is listed under US sanctions related to Iran and is believed to be part of a shadow fleet used to transport restricted oil through disguised shipping routes and false documentation. US authorities have said such vessels are often used to move Venezuelan crude into global supply chains despite longstanding sanctions on the country’s energy sector.
The boarding forms part of a broader strategy by the Republican administration to increase pressure on Venezuela’s oil exports by intercepting tankers suspected of carrying sanctioned cargo. Washington has intensified maritime enforcement measures since late 2025, following a directive ordering the quarantine of vessels linked to sanctioned oil trade.
Officials stated that three tankers had attempted to evade enforcement actions and have now all been intercepted in separate operations. The Pentagon released footage showing US military helicopters approaching the vessel during the boarding mission, underscoring the scale of the operation.
However, the Pentagon did not clarify whether the Bertha was formally seized or placed under US control, noting only that the boarding was conducted under maritime enforcement authority. The operation highlights the expanding geographic scope of US sanctions enforcement, with authorities signalling that vessels suspected of violating restrictions can be pursued well beyond the Caribbean region.
