U.S. forces captured the sanctioned vessel Bertha without incident overnight in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility in the Indian Ocean, the third boat intercepted after it defied President Trump’s quarantine of sanctioned vessels originating in the Caribbean, according to a U.S. Department of War statement posted on X between 11:15:29 AM and 12:45:25 PM UTC on February 24, 2026. The Department of War reported that all three boats attempting evasion have now been captured, with U.S. forces conducting a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction, and boarding on the Bertha after tracking it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. The statement emphasized that the operation demonstrates U.S. global reach, endurance, and will to enforce sanctions in international waters. The Department of War declared that international waters are not a refuge for sanctioned actors and that U.S. forces will deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain by land, air, or sea, as stated in the X post during this 1-hour 29-minute reporting window.
