The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) reported that the oil tanker Veronica III (IMO 9326055) is not part of the Panama Ship Registry. United States military forces intercepted the vessel in the Indian Ocean during an international operation. In an official statement, the entity clarified that the vessel was administratively canceled on December 11, 2024, so it is currently not sailing under the Panamanian flag nor has an administrative link with the country. The clarification comes after the U.S. military action that culminated in the boarding of the tanker, following a pursuit that reportedly began in the Caribbean Sea. Washington links the Veronica III to the so-called "shadow fleet," a network of vessels accused of transporting sanctioned crude from Iran and Venezuela, using flag changes and maneuvers to hide their route and cargo origin. The AMP emphasized that at the time of the operation, the vessel was operating outside Panama's administrative jurisdiction, insisting that the registry cancellation occurred more than a year before the interception. This episode once again places the role of ship registries in the international conversation amid global economic sanctions, in a scenario where every flag and every cancellation counts.
