ALBAWABA- US military forces have boarded the Panama-flagged Suezmax oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after a transoceanic pursuit from the Caribbean, part of an intensifying campaign to enforce sanctions on Venezuelan oil and disrupt the so-called “shadow fleet” of sanctioned tankers.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the interdiction on February 9 occurred “without incident” and underscored the United States’ determination to uphold its sanctions. “It ran, and we followed,” Hegseth said.
The Aquila II, carrying roughly 700,000 barrels of heavy crude bound for China, had been under multiple sanctions for transporting oil in ways that evade international restrictions. The vessel’s ties to Russia and Venezuela, along with its history of flag and ownership changes, made it a primary target of Washington’s enforcement efforts.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇷🇺 US military seizes another Russian oil tanker.
"It ran, and we followed…You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us." pic.twitter.com/RkuxjJuBbU— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) February 9, 2026
The boarding marks one of the furthest-reaching operations under Operation Southern Spear, launched in December 2025 to disrupt tanker networks that facilitate oil exports from sanctioned states. US officials said the effort involves sustained naval tracking across regions far beyond the Caribbean.
The operation comes amid heightened tensions over US sanctions on Caracas. While Washington frames the action as lawful enforcement, foreign critics, including Cuba and China, have denounced similar seizures as violations of international maritime law.
The Indian Ocean operation signals an expansion of US sanctions enforcement into new theaters, complicating global shipping routes and raising questions about the broader impact on trade and diplomatic relations.
