U.S. Forces Board Sanctioned VLCC Bertha in Indian Ocean

U.S. naval forces have boarded the VLCC Bertha in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. Department of War confirmed.

The overnight operation, described as a right-of-visit maritime interdiction, was conducted without incident within the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility.

The 2004-built, 305,442-dwt crude oil tanker is currently flagged in the Cook Islands. According to ShipAtlas AIS data, the vessel had transited from the Caribbean into the Indian Ocean prior to the boarding.

The tanker was added to the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC sanctions list in December 2024 under the alias Monica S. U.S. authorities identified it as part of Iran’s so-called shadow fleet engaged in transporting Iranian crude.

Officials have not disclosed the tanker’s cargo status or whether it will be diverted following the inspection.