From Caribbean to Indian Ocean: The U.S. pours the heat on shadow Tanker Bertha

In a bold showcase of maritime enforcement, U.S. military forces boarded the oil tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean Sea — striking a significant blow against sanctioned energy shipments tied to Venezuela and Iran’s shadow fleet. This high-seas operation underscores Washington’s global reach in enforcing sanctions and disrupting illicit crude trade routes. 

The Bertha interception — A Globe spanning chase

According to multiple international reports, the U.S. military conducted a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” of the tanker Bertha on February 24, 2026, after an extended pursuit that began in the Caribbean Sea. These operations were carried out under U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating the Pentagon’s ability to track and intercept sanctioned vessels across vast distances.

U.S. forces reported that the vessel was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine on sanctioned ships — a policy aimed at tightening the screws on oil exports from states like Venezuela and Iranian-linked entities.

Visual footage shared by the Pentagon showed U.S. military helicopters fast-roping boarding teams onto the ship during the operation.

About the Tanker Bertha

The Bertha is a large crude oil tanker that has been under U.S. sanctions since December 2024 due to its involvement in transporting oil linked to Iranian and Venezuelan sanctioned networks. Originally flagged to the Cook Islands, vessel tracking databases later indicated the ship was registered under a false Curaçao flag, a tactic commonly used in sanctions-evasion.

The vessel departed Venezuelan waters in early January 2026, laden with approximately 1.9 million barrels of Merey heavy crude oil — a grade produced by Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA — reportedly bound for China. Analysts from TankerTrackers.com confirmed the tanker was the last of at least 16 oil tankers that fled Venezuelan territory following U.S. pressure and enforcement operations.