US military forces capture third sanctioned oil tanker in Indian Ocean
US forces boarded the Bertha in the Indian Ocean for defying sanctions. This is the third vessel captured since January under a maritime quarantine order.
United States 
US military forces have boarded and captured the sanctioned crude oil tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean. The operation, which concluded on February 24, 2026, followed an extensive tracking mission that originated in Caribbean waters and spanned several maritime regions. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Pentagon confirmed that the capture was executed within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
US military forces have boarded and captured the sanctioned crude oil tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean. The operation, which concluded on February 24, 2026, followed an extensive tracking mission that originated in Caribbean waters and spanned several maritime regions. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Pentagon confirmed that the capture was executed within the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.The Bertha is linked to Shanghai Legendary Ship Management Company Limited and has been listed by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under sanctions since January 2020. This action marks the third U.S. maritime interdiction of vessels accused of evading sanctions in recent months, following the boardings of the Suezmax tanker Aquila II and the Venezuelan-linked tanker Marinera in January and earlier this month. Ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic supported the monitoring of the vessel leading up to the military action.
