The United States Department of Defense announced on Tuesday a new step in its pressure policy against oil operations linked to Venezuela and Cuba: U.S. military forces boarded a third tanker in the Indian Ocean that, according to Washington, was violating the oil blockade imposed in the Caribbean and attempted to escape the naval blockade.
In a statement released on the social network X, the Pentagon reported that "During the night, U.S. forces conducted a right of visit inspection, maritime interdiction, and boarding of the Bertha without incident in the area of responsibility of Indopacom (Indo-Pacific Command)."
According to the Armed Forces, "the vessel was operating in defiance of the quarantine established by President Trump on sanctioned ships in the Caribbean and attempted to evade it."
The Department of Defense emphasized that the operation is part of a broader strategy and issued a strong message: “Three vessels fled, and now all three have been captured.”
Before the Bertha, the United States had intercepted the tankers Aquila II and Veronica III in the Indian Ocean, also flagged by Washington as vessels that attempted to evade the blockade after operating on routes related to Venezuela.
The Bertha, identified as a vessel registered under the Cook Islands by the maritime tracking site Marine Traffic, is among approximately 16 sanctioned tankers that, according to reports, have attempted to evade the U.S. blockade in Caribbean waters.
Aliases and false coordinates
According to international press reports, the Bertha is said to have taken on the alias "Ekta" and falsified its coordinates to appear as though it was off the coast of Nigeria, a maneuver similar to those used by the Aquila II and the Veronica III. These tactics aim to hinder satellite tracking and evade maritime monitoring systems.
Since December 2025, the United States has been enforcing a maritime "quarantine" on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, as part of the so-called Operation Lanza del Sur. In the framework of this operation, nearly a dozen ships have been boarded or seized. The restrictions also extend to crude oil shipments to Cuba.
"International waters are not a refuge."
The Pentagon reiterated on Tuesday the scope of its naval interdiction policy with a message that reinforces its zero-tolerance stance: “International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned actors."
"By land, air, or sea, our forces will find them and deliver justice. The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their representatives the freedom to operate in maritime areas."
The expansion of these operations beyond the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean marks a significant geographical shift in the enforcement of U.S. sanctions and opens up a debate about the extraterritorial scope of these measures.
While Washington argues that these are legal actions to enforce existing sanctions, international critics question the legal basis for interceptions in international waters and warn about the rising tensions in strategic maritime routes.
The case of Bertha adds to a series of approaches that highlight a more aggressive phase in the United States' energy pressure policy against Caracas and, indirectly, against Havana, in a context where oil remains a key player in the geopolitical dispute.
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