U.S. forces seized the oil tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean for violating sanctions and evading a maritime quarantine, carrying 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan crude.

U.S. military forces intercepted the oil tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean, marking the third seizure this year of a sanctioned vessel linked to Venezuela. The ship, flagged to the Cook Islands and managed by a Chinese company, was tracked from the Caribbean and accused of violating Iran-related sanctions and evading a U.S.-imposed maritime quarantine. It carried about 1.9 million barrels of Venezuelan crude and was intercepted near the Maldives. The operation, conducted under Indo-Pacific Command, underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt illicit oil shipments and restrict revenue from Venezuela’s oil sector following the January capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. The vessel was boarded without incident and placed under U.S. control, with its final disposition pending.