Watch: U.S Forces Capture Venezuelan Oil Tanker In The Indian Ocean

US military forces have seized an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean, saying the vessel violated Washington’s blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments.

The Pentagon said on 9 February that US forces boarded and seized the Suezmax tanker Aquila II during an overnight operation that took place without incident.

The tanker had fled the Caribbean after operating in defiance of restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump on vessels linked to Venezuelan oil exports.

US defence officials said the Aquila II was continuously tracked as it travelled thousands of miles from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, where it was intercepted under the US Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said US forces carried out a right-of-visit and maritime interdiction boarding, stating that the vessel had ignored the US “quarantine” on sanctioned ships.

He added that American forces were able to enforce the blockade across different regions and domains.

Video released by the Pentagon showed US servicemembers boarding the tanker from a helicopter hovering above the vessel.

When the @DeptofWar says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world.

Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the… pic.twitter.com/kYVAQC5io9

— Department of War (@DeptofWar) February 9, 2026

Shipping data showed that the Aquila II left Venezuelan waters in early January as part of a group of tankers carrying heavy crude oil.

According to schedules from state-owned oil company PDVSA, the vessel was loaded with around 700,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude, bound for China.

US officials said most of the tankers in that flotilla have either returned to Venezuela or have already been seized as part of enforcement actions.

The Aquila II is the eighth tanker seized by the United States since President Trump ordered a blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil vessels in December.

The seizure marked the second time a tanker has been intercepted outside the Caribbean region.

In January, a Russia-linked tanker was seized in the North Atlantic after being pursued from waters off Venezuela.

The U.S. has sharply increased its naval presence in the Caribbean in recent months, targeting vessels it says are linked to sanctioned oil trade and drug trafficking.

These actions have followed a US military operation in December that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.

Analysts said the blockade has significantly reduced Venezuelan oil exports.

Shipments fell by about half in January to roughly 400,000 barrels per day, with only vessels linked to Chevron and bound for the United States continuing operations as normal.

Despite the recent seizures, US Coast Guard officials have acknowledged that only a small portion of sanctioned vessels has been intercepted so far.

Rear Admiral David Barata told a congressional hearing earlier this month that up to 800 “dark fleet” vessels may still be operating worldwide.

References: Reuters, BBC

Source: Maritime Shipping News