US Navy Intercepts Ship Defying Venezuela Ban

The US Department of Defense announced Sunday that American naval forces intercepted and boarded the vessel Veronica 3 after it allegedly attempted to defy sanctions imposed on Venezuela under President Donald Trump’s renewed pressure campaign.

In a statement posted on social media, the Pentagon said US forces conducted an overnight maritime interception and inspection of the vessel within the US Indo Pacific Command area of responsibility. Officials said the operation was completed without incident.

According to the Defense Department, the ship was tracked from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean before US forces moved in, approached the vessel and halted it.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated sharply in 2026 after Trump reinstated a maximum pressure strategy targeting Venezuela’s oil sector. The administration has accused President Nicolás Maduro’s government of undermining regional stability and weakening democratic institutions.

The United States imposed sweeping restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports, targeting state oil company PDVSA and maritime transport networks linked to crude shipments. US officials have also warned of potential secondary sanctions against companies and countries involved in Venezuelan oil trade.

Washington has expanded enforcement measures to include close monitoring of oil tankers and tracking of vessels suspected of circumventing sanctions.

In a dramatic development in early January 2026, US authorities announced a security operation that led to the arrest of Maduro inside Venezuela, a move that sparked international debate and diplomatic fallout.

Following that operation, the White House stated its intention to oversee Venezuelan oil revenues through US supervised mechanisms, saying the objective was to ensure a stable political transition and direct resources toward the Venezuelan people.

The interception of Veronica 3 underscores the intensifying enforcement of US sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector and highlights Washington’s broader strategy to restrict oil flows and increase pressure on Caracas.