The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) announced that its forces intercepted the third oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, after it was accused of violating the ban imposed by President Donald Trump on ships subject to sanctions in the Caribbean, as part of efforts to deprive what it calls the “shadow fleet” of freedom of maneuver.

Published on: 02/25/2026 - 05:15 Last updated: 02/25/2026 - 08:05

On Tuesday, US forces took control of the third oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, according to what the Pentagon announced, explaining that the tanker violated the ban imposed by President Donald Trump on ships subject to sanctions in the Caribbean.

A post by the US Department of Defense on the “X” platform, attached to a video clip showing American soldiers carrying out a helicopter landing on board the tanker “Bertha,” said that American forces “from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, we tracked and stopped them.”

Explaining the nature of the night operation, the Pentagon stated that the ship was continuing its work “in defiance of President Trump’s ban on sanctioned ships in the Caribbean, and attempted to evade” US oversight.

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The ministry also stressed that “the US Department of Defense will deprive illegal actors and their agents of freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain,” in reference to the continued policy of pressure on sanctioned oil smuggling networks.

This is the third tanker that US forces have intercepted in the Indian Ocean since the beginning of this month, and the tenth since Trump issued orders in December to impose a “siege” on ships subject to sanctions heading to and from Venezuela.

However, the impact of these operations remains limited to what is known as the “shadow fleet” that is active around the world to circumvent sanctions, and which is estimated - according to a senior officer in the US Coast Guard - to include about 800 ships.

France 24/AFP

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