The U.S. military seized a Chinese oil tanker, tracking it from the Caribbean Sea all the way to the Indian Ocean, and deployed special forces to board and intercept the vessel!
Early February 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed publicly: The U.S. military conducted a boarding inspection and control of an oil tanker named "Aquila II" (Aquila II) in the Indian Ocean. This ship set out from the Caribbean Sea and was tracked by the U.S. military throughout its journey, finally being intercepted in the waters of the Indian Ocean nearly 20,000 kilometers away from its point of origin - this entire process is a rare "long-distance hunt" in the history of modern maritime law enforcement.
Aquila II flies the flag of convenience of Panama, but its actual owner is a company registered in Hong Kong - Linnet Marguerite. This type of registration model is very common in the global shipping industry, with about 70% of ocean-going merchant ships choosing to register in "flag of convenience" countries such as Panama and Liberia to reduce tax and regulatory costs. However, this practice has now become a breakthrough for the U.S. to accurately target its objectives.
According to the U.S. announcement, the ship was identified as subject to U.S. sanctions when it was loading cargo in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. military used the expeditionary forward base ship "Miguel Keith" as the operational platform. AIS data shows that this ship crossed the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean on February 1, clearly a pre-deployment for the interception mission. Afterward, U.S. helicopters took off from the "Miguel Keith" to conduct the boarding - the entire operation was highly coordinated and well-planned.
From the intention, the U.S. target is clearly aimed at China's energy supply chain. The White House has made up its mind not to allow China to purchase oil from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, but only to buy American oil. If China does not buy, then the U.S. will intercept and seize these tankers.
In addition, the U.S. military tested and demonstrated its global tracking and extraterritorial law enforcement capabilities. From the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and circumnavigating the Cape of Good Hope, the voyage exceeded 15,000 kilometers. Such a long-distance continuous monitoring relies on space-based satellites, sea-based radar, AIS signal analysis, and intelligence fusion systems. This operation indicates that the U.S. military now has the capability to implement "full-time accompanying surveillance" on specific merchant ships and can carry out quasi-military intercepts in international waters far from its homeland. Dao Ge thinks that this situation cannot continue any longer and must take decisive action.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856702506874880/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.