We got another one!
Early on Thursday, the United States Coast Guard boarded and seized another rogue tanker from the notorious "Ghost Fleet," that group of tankers that has been delivering Venezuelan oil into every wretched hive of scum and villainy on the planet. This latest capture was the Motor Tanker (MT) Veronica (the whereabouts of the MT Betty are not known), and on Thursday, Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the seizure on her official X account.
Early this morning, a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean. As another sanctioned ghost fleet tanker, Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of… pic.twitter.com/MyWyQGH1h0
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 15, 2026
The post continues:
...was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.
Through close coordination with our colleagues in the Departments of War, State, and Justice, our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law.
As we’ve now demonstrated through multiple boardings, there is no outrunning or escaping American justice — period. Our resolve is unshakeable and our mission coordination has never been better. America's Coast Guard remains Always Ready to apply the full force of its unique authorities and specialized capabilities against this threat anywhere, anytime.
Good; this is what we voted for.
Read More: Pre-Dawn Blitz: Navy, Marines Seize Another Tramp Oil Hauler
Trump Puts Venezuela Over a Barrel With New Move on China, Russia, Seizure of Sanctioned Tankers
This latest seizure was likely carried out under a seizure warrant, which is the usual form, and now this tanker will, like the others, be headed to a U.S. port to offload any cargo.
The United States has now seized six of these ships: The Century, seized in December 2025; the Skipper, also seized in December 2025; the Bella 1, the M Sophia, the Olina, and now the Veronica, all nabbed in January 2026. These ships were seized under Operation Southern Spear, under the control of the United States Southern Command and the War Department. Southern Spear has been in operation since last November and has also been involved in the ongoing program to introduce drug-smuggling speedboat crews to their new quarters in Davy Jones' Locker.
Venezuela's official state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), has had to suspend pumping oil, as it is running out of places to put it.
Since the ouster of tinpot dictator Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has been under the presidency of Maduro's former vice president and "acting president" Delcy Rodríguez. As of this writing, it's unclear when the country will have new elections, or whether the actual winner of the 2024 election, Edmundo González, will be invited to take over the role; that last, given that Rodríguez has been sworn in as interim president, seems unlikely. What Venezuela should do is organize new elections as quickly as possible, but that doesn't look like it's happening, either.
Ghost tanker seizures and drug boat detonations will, it seems, continue, at least for the time being.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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