U.S. Military Boards Venezuelan-Linked Tanker in Indian Ocean After Extended Pursuit

U.S. military forces have boarded the crude oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea, according to a statement from the Pentagon. The operation comes as part of a broader U.S. effort to enforce sanctions and a blockade on oil shipments linked to Venezuela.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ship was intercepted because it was operating “in defiance” of a U.S. quarantine on sanctioned vessels. In a post on social media platform X, he said U.S. forces conducted a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” of the vessel without incident far from the Caribbean, emphasizing that the defense department tracked the ship across oceans.

The Aquila II had departed Venezuelan waters earlier in 2026 and was reportedly once bound for China with heavy crude oil before it went “dark” — a term for disabling tracking systems often used by ships trying to evade sanctions. The tanker is linked to a flotilla of vessels targeted by Washington’s blockade.

This boarding is the latest in a series of interdictions under a U.S. campaign to curb oil exports connected to Venezuela, which has seen multiple tankers seized or intercepted since late 2025. The blockade and sanctions form part of U.S. policy aimed at exerting pressure on Venezuela’s oil industry and limiting its ability to sell crude on international markets.

U.S. officials have framed the broad operation as a demonstration of their ability to pursue sanctioned vessels globally, signaling a willingness to enforce restrictions even far from traditional areas of operation. Decisions about the Aquila II’s future — including potential seizure or legal action — have not yet been publicly detailed.