U.S. seizes sanctioned oil tanker in Indian Ocean after pursuit from Caribbean

U.S. military forces have seized a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon said on Monday.

The ship, identified as the Aquila II, was boarded during what officials described as a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding” operation carried out without incident in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

In a statement posted on X, the Pentagon said the tanker had been operating in violation of Washington’s quarantine on sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean and had been pursued across multiple regions before it was stopped.

Officials did not confirm whether the vessel had direct links to Venezuela, although it was suspected of involvement in transporting sanctioned crude through networks often described as a “shadow fleet”.

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U.S. authorities said the interception forms part of a broader effort to curb illicit oil shipments and enforce sanctions targeting vessels accused of moving restricted energy supplies across international markets.

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Additional details about the tanker’s ownership, cargo status or final destination were not immediately disclosed.

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