U.S. military forces operating under Operation Southern Spear have seized a motor tanker in the Caribbean as part of a campaign aimed at disrupting what Washington describes as illicit maritime activity linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil exports.

According to a statement issued by U.S. Southern Command , Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a pre-dawn operation to apprehend the motor tanker Veronica without incident. The operation was carried out in support of the Department of Homeland Security , with interagency coordination involving the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. Southern Command said the boarding team launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford , adding that the tanker was operating in defiance of a U.S.-imposed quarantine on vessels linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil activity.

The command described the seizure as the latest demonstration of the operation’s effectiveness, noting that U.S. forces are seeking to prevent unauthorized oil shipments from Venezuela. The statement said the objective is to ensure that any oil exports from the country are conducted in a manner the United States considers lawful and properly coordinated.

Operation Southern Spear is supported by a broader naval presence in the region, including assets from the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group. Those platforms include the USS Iwo Jima , the USS San Antonio , and the USS Fort Lauderdale.

U.S. Southern Command said the operation forms part of a wider effort to counter illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere and reinforce maritime security, working alongside U.S. naval and Marine Corps forces.