WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (KUNA) -- The United States announced on Monday the detention of a Panama-flagged oil tanker in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, stating that the vessel had violated a blockade previously imposed by US forces in the Caribbean.
In a statement on X, the US Department of Defense said that "US military forces conducted a maritime inspection, interception, and boarding of the ship Aquila 2 overnight without any incidents in the area of responsibility of US Indo-Pacific Command." The seized tanker "was operating in defiance of the sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump on ships subject to restrictions in the Caribbean region," the Pentagon added.
Officials noted that Aquila 2 attempted to escape, prompting a US military pursuit that tracked the vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean.
The statement emphasized that the Department of Defense "will deny illegal entities and their agents the ability to challenge US power in global maritime domains." (end) rsr.aa