In the Indian Ocean, the US military intercepted an oil tanker named Aquila II. According to information provided by the Pentagon, this vessel violated the maritime blockade imposed against Venezuela. This was reported by the press service of the American military department through its official channels.
The Pentagon clarified that the "Department of War" had been tracking the tanker’s route for some time, starting from the Caribbean Sea and ending in the Indian Ocean. In a statement published on social media platform X, it was stated: "Our Armed Forces will find you in any situation — on land, in the air, or at sea, and justice will be restored. You will not be able to escape, as you will run out of fuel before you can hide from us."
According to information from Reuters, the tanker Aquila II left Venezuelan waters in early January as part of a group of vessels. The Venezuelan oil and gas company PDVSA reported that the tanker was carrying about 700,000 barrels of oil to China. The vessel is already under sanctions from the US, Canada, the UK, and the European Union. The inclusion of Aquila II in the US sanctions lists occurred as part of Russia's "shadow fleet," as it is linked to the company Sunne Co Limited, which owns several vessels involved in transporting oil in violation of the price cap imposed after the start of military actions in Ukraine.
In early December of last year, US President Donald Trump announced a complete blockade of sanctioned vessels transporting oil from Venezuela. After that, the United States began active measures to intercept all tankers heading from Venezuela without state affiliation and without permission from American authorities. Washington accuses Venezuela of facilitating drug trafficking into the US.
