US forces captured another tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in the Caribbean. After President Donald Trump declared a blockade of Venezuelan oil, the US has seized six tankers. 

“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 and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident,” a statement from US Southern Command explained. “The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again.”

Through #OpSouthernSpear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG through @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.

In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear,… pic.twitter.com/brxO9xXUu3

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 15, 2026

Trump enacted sweeping sanctions and a blockade of Venezuela in an effort to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. Earlier this month, US forces kidnapped Maduro. Trump has said the interim government in Caracas is working with his administration, but he has maintained the sanctions and seized more ships carrying Venezuelan oil. 

Last week, the US seized a Russia-flagged oil tanker in the Northern Alantic the administration claimed was carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil. 

After kidnapping Maduro, Trump claimed the US was now running Venezuela. The President plans to use profits from the country’s oil industry to fund the operation. 

However, Venezuela’s oil infrastructure needs significant upgrades, and oil executives have expressed opposition to participating in the scheme.