US military boards third oil tanker in Indian Ocean

US military boards third oil tanker in Indian Ocean

The Pentagon confirmed that US forces have boarded a third sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea. This action is part of ongoing efforts to disrupt illicit oil trade connected to Venezuela, as reported by the Associated Press.

The vessel, identified as the Bertha, was flagged to the Cook Islands and is under US sanctions related to Iran. President Donald Trump's administration has been seizing tankers to exert pressure on Venezuela's oil sector.

Earlier this year, former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was brought to the US to face charges of collaborating with drug cartels to facilitate cocaine shipments into the country. This operation highlights the complex interplay between international politics and global supply chain security.