US Southern Command has apprehended the 2003-built Veronica aframax during a pre-dawn operation yesterday, the sixth tanker with Venezuelan links to be taken by American forces in recent weeks.
The Veronica, previously known as Pegas and Lana, has a troubled history; it was seized by Greek authorities in 2022 and has a history of moving sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil.
The US is gearing up to grab a lot more Venezuela‑linked tonnage, with scores of seizure warrants now in play as Washington tightens its grip on the country’s oil exports and the shadow fleet that moves them.
According to sources quoted earlier this week, the US government has filed for court warrants to seize “dozens” of tankers tied to Venezuela.
The push is the latest twist in Washington’s hardline campaign against Caracas, which escalated dramatically with the January 3 capture of president Nicolás Maduro by US forces. Since then, the Trump administration has made it clear it intends to control Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely while it tries to rebuild the country’s crumbling oil sector.