U.S. forces boarded the Suezmax tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after pursuing it from the Caribbean; officials say the boarding was conducted without incident. PDVSA schedules indicate the vessel was carrying about 700,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude bound for China. U.S. authorities described the operation as enforcement of a quarantine on sanctioned vessels, while public records did not clearly show the tanker’s registration.
U.S. Forces Board Venezuela‑Linked Tanker Aquila II After Trans‑Ocean Pursuit; Operation Reported Without Incident
FILE PHOTO: U.S. and Venezuelan flags appear in this illustration created on December 2, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
WASHINGTON — U.S. military forces boarded the Suezmax crude oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean on Monday after a prolonged pursuit from the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. Officials described the action as a "right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding" that was carried out without incident.
"Overnight, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident," Hegseth wrote on X. "It ran, and we followed. The Department of War tracked and hunted this vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean... You will run out of fuel long before you will outrun us."
According to schedules from Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, the Aquila II departed Venezuelan waters in early January as part of a flotilla and was carrying roughly 700,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude destined for China. Most vessels in that flotilla have either returned to Venezuela or been seized by U.S. forces, U.S. officials said.
U.S. officials framed the boarding as enforcement of a U.S. "quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean," part of stepped-up measures targeting ships linked to Venezuela amid heightened tensions. Public shipping databases did not make clear where the Aquila II is registered.
Some reports have referenced a recent U.S. operation in Caracas as context for the intensified enforcement campaign; claims about the capture of President Nicolás Maduro have been reported and disputed in different outlets and remain unconfirmed. Reuters and other news organizations continue to seek verification of those claims.
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