The U.S. Navy seized the tanker "Bertha" in the Indian Ocean

The United States Navy seized the tanker "Bertha" in the Indian Ocean, which was attempting to circumvent the maritime blockade established by Washington against vessels linked to Venezuela and other countries subject to American sanctions.

This was stated in a announcement by the U.S. Department of War published on social media.

According to the American military department, the tanker, sailing under the flag of the Cook Islands, had been tracked from the moment it left the Caribbean Sea and was stopped in the Indian Ocean area. "We tracked the vessel from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and stopped it," the statement noted.

The American Naval forces conducted an unimpeded inspection and seized the tanker. The Department of War emphasized that the vessel was operating in violation of the so-called "quarantine" for ships under sanctions, established by the Donald Trump administration with the aim of blocking Venezuelan oil supplies to the global market.

The statement also noted that international waters cannot serve as a "refuge" for entities violating American sanctions. "Our Armed Forces will find and hold accountable violators wherever they may be," the department added.

The tanker "Bertha" was built in 2004 and registered under the flag of the Cook Islands. It is approximately 330 meters in length.