The US has intercepted another ship of the Russian shadow fleet

The US military has intercepted another vessel of the Russian shadow fleet. They boarded the tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean.

This was reported by the Pentagon.

According to the ministry, the ship violated the quarantine imposed by US President Donald Trump on sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean Sea. The tanker tried to escape, but the US military pursued it all the way to the Indian Ocean, where it was boarded.

According to GUR, the Aquila II is one of the vessels in the shadow fleet that helps transport Russian oil. It is also likely to have transported Venezuelan oil despite the US naval blockade. The vessel is under sanctions by the US, EU, UK, Canada, Switzerland and Ukraine.

• On December 16, 2025, the US President Donald Trump reported a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers heading to or from Venezuela, which he said was a way to pressure the Venezuelan government.
• Following the capture of Nicolas Maduro in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States would continue to use the blockade as leverage against the interim government of Venezuela.

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