A U.S. Coast Guard tactical team boarded and seized the Motor Tanker Veronica early this morning, enforcing a regional quarantine on sanctioned vessels.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the operation Thursday, identifying the Veronica as a “sanctioned ghost fleet tanker” that had recently transited Venezuelan waters.
According to Noem, the vessel was operating in direct defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine orders for the Caribbean.
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The pre-dawn seizure involved coordination between the Coast Guard and counterparts in the Departments of War, State, and Justice. Secretary Noem praised the operation as “flawlessly executed” and issued a stark warning to other vessels attempting to bypass American sanctions.
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“As we’ve now demonstrated through multiple boardings, there is no outrunning or escaping American justice—period,” Noem stated. “America’s Coast Guard remains Always Ready to apply the full force of its unique authorities and specialized capabilities against this threat anywhere, anytime.”
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