US seizes sanctioned tanker Bertha after 15,000-km chase video

The Pentagon announced the detention of the tanker Bertha in the Indian Ocean after US military forces pursued the vessel for more than 15,000 kilometres, beginning in the Caribbean Sea.

According to Caliber.Az, an official statement published on the social media platform X said that the ship’s crew did not resist.

Three boats ran and now all three have been captured.

Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Bertha without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility. The vessel was operating in defiance of President Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/YoHlb9v54p

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) February 24, 2026

Data from the Starboard Maritime Intelligence service indicates that the tanker is owned by the Chinese company CENTAUURUS MIN LTD and operated by SHANGHAI LEGENDARY SHIP MGMT, which manages two additional vessels sailing between ports in China, Malaysia, Russia, India, and other countries. These ships frequently switch off their Automatic Identification System (AIS), disappearing from tracking systems for extended periods.

The tanker Bertha is under US sanctions for the illegal transportation of Iranian and Venezuelan oil.

Earlier reports said that on February 9, following a pursuit from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean, the US detained the oil tanker Aquila II. Later, on the night of February 15, US armed forces inspected and detained the oil tanker Veronica III, which is linked to Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

According to the Pentagon, Bertha became the third vessel accused of violating US restrictions imposed on ships operating in the Caribbean Sea and captured after a prolonged pursuit.

By Tamilla Hasanova