US captures 6th oil tanker in 2 months in Caribbean

American forces "apprehended" a sixth oil tanker on Thursday morning in waters around Central and South America and the Caribbean, US Southern Command said.

"In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident," the command said on US social media company X.

The tanker was "operating in defiance of (US) President (Donald) Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean," it added.

"The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully," it said.

With this latest seizure, the US has seized a ship for the sixth time since Dec. 10, enforcing a "total and complete blockade" on Venezuelan oil declared by Trump amid tensions with Caracas.

Previous incidents included a tanker boarding on Friday; the seizure of the Russian-flagged Bella 1 in the North Atlantic after escaping its first seizure attempt in the Caribbean weeks earlier; the interception of the M Sophia in the Caribbean; the seizure of the Panama-flagged supertanker Centuries on Dec. 20, and the seizure of the Skipper on Dec. 10.

The maritime crackdown comes amid heightened tension between Washington and Caracas.

The US conducted a military operation in Venezuela on Jan. 3. Widespread airstrikes targeted air defense systems, paving the way for special operations forces to raid Caracas and capture President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were transported to New York, where they pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges during their first hearing.

Venezuela has condemned the vessel seizures as "international piracy," while Washington says the operations are necessary to enforce the blockade against the "dark fleet."