US Military Boards Sanctioned Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean After Long Pursuit

The United States military has boarded the sanctioned oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean, following a months-long tracking operation that began in the Caribbean Sea, the Pentagon confirmed.

The vessel, flagged in Panama, is under U.S. sanctions due to its involvement in transporting oil from restricted sources. Satellite tracking and surface observations indicated the tanker had recently departed the Venezuelan coast and had spent much of the past year operating with its transponder off, a tactic commonly used to evade detection. At the time of the boarding, the ship was reportedly not carrying crude oil.

Pentagon officials described the operation as a “right-of-visit, maritime interdiction”, emphasizing that U.S. forces followed the vessel over thousands of miles to ensure compliance with sanctions. The mission involved multiple naval assets, including destroyers and a mobile base ship.

The operation comes amid ongoing efforts by the U.S. to enforce sanctions on Venezuela and control the movement of oil in international waters. Officials have said that such actions aim to prevent the flow of oil to nations and entities circumventing U.S. restrictions.

The Pentagon did not confirm whether the tanker had been seized, but underscored that enforcement of sanctions remains a top priority for U.S. military and maritime authorities.