US forces intercept sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean
US military forces have boarded and seized the sanctioned oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after a pursuit that began in the Caribbean, according to converging US official statements and media reports on 9 February. The Pentagon initially described the operation as a “right-of-visit maritime interdiction”, while AFP later confirmed that the vessel was effectively seized, making it the eighth tanker captured under Washington’s blockade targeting Venezuela-linked oil shipments.
A long-range maritime interdiction operation
The Aquila II, a Panamanian-flagged tanker under US sanctions, allegedly fled the Caribbean quarantine imposed by the Trump administration on sanctioned vessels operating to or from Venezuela. US forces tracked the ship across multiple maritime zones before intercepting it in the Indian Ocean. Pentagon footage showed US troops boarding the tanker without incident, following what officials described as a prolonged pursuit well beyond the Caribbean theatre.
Shadow fleet links and sanctions evasion tactics
The Aquila II is under US sanctions linked to the shipment of illicit Russian oil, placing it within the wider ecosystem commonly referred to as Russia’s “shadow fleet”. Maritime tracking data shows the tanker frequently operated with its AIS transponder switched off, a practice known as dark sailing, widely used to conceal movements and evade monitoring. The vessel is owned by a Hong Kong-based shell company, another characteristic frequently observed among tankers involved in sanctions evasion.
According to analysis by TankerTrackers.com, the Aquila II was also among 16 tankers that departed Venezuelan waters last month following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, suggesting a reuse of shadow fleet assets across multiple sanctioned oil supply chains. At the time of interception, the vessel was reportedly not carrying crude oil. US officials acknowledge that seized ships represent only a small fraction of an estimated 800 sanctioned vessels operating globally, underscoring the scale and adaptability of illicit maritime oil networks.
