U.S. forces intercepted the sanctioned oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean on Feb. 9, 2026, for evading a maritime quarantine on Venezuelan oil.

U.S. military forces intercepted and boarded the oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean on February 9, 2026, after tracking it from the Caribbean. The operation, described as a right-of-visit maritime interdiction, occurred without incident and followed the vessel’s evasion of a U.S. maritime quarantine on sanctioned ships linked to Venezuela. The Aquila II, flagged under Panama and believed to be part of Russia’s “dark fleet,” was carrying about 700,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude oil and had previously been sanctioned for transporting Russian oil. The U.S. emphasized its global enforcement reach, warning that sanctioned vessels cannot escape detection or pursuit.