In a move highlighting the U.S. military's reach and enforcement of sanctions, American forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after an extensive pursuit that originated in the Caribbean Sea. The operation, confirmed on Monday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is part of a broader effort to enforce an oil quarantine intended to put economic pressure on Venezuela.

The tanker, named Aquila II, is a Panamanian-flagged vessel that is under U.S. sanctions for its involvement in shipping illicit Russian oil. The Pentagon stated that the Aquila II was "operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean". Following the U.S. raid to apprehend then-President Nicolás Maduro in early January, the Aquila II was among at least 16 tankers that fled the Venezuelan coast. According to Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ship's movements.

The Department of Defense said U.S. forces tracked the vessel across multiple regions, pursuing it from the Caribbean into the Indian Ocean, where the boarding took place within the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. A video accompanying the Defense Department's announcement on social media platform X showed U.S. service members in military fatigues boarding the ship from a hovering helicopter.

While the Pentagon has not released specific details regarding the Aquila II's ownership, cargo, or current status, it was noted that the ship is currently not carrying crude oil. Furthermore, ship tracking data indicates the vessel has frequently disabled its radio transponder over the past year, a tactic known as "running dark" commonly employed to conceal locations.

Defense Secretary Hegseth has made it clear that the U.S. intends to pursue all tankers attempting to evade sanctions. "I don't care if we got to go around the globe to get them; we're going to get them," he stated. A Navy official confirmed that the destroyers USS Pinckney and USS John Finn, as well as the mobile base ship USS Miguel Keith, were operating in the Indian Ocean.

This recent boarding is part of a larger effort by the U.S. to control Venezuelan oil supplies. At least seven oil tankers have been seized by the U.S. since last year. Following the U.S. raid to apprehend then-President Nicolás Maduro in early January, several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast. The U.S. military seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his home in Caracas during a raid in December and implemented a blockade of oil shipments. The U.S. blockade has significantly reduced Venezuelan oil exports, with January loadings falling to roughly 400,000 barrels per day.