This time America has struck China. The US Navy, while carrying out a bold operation in the Indian Ocean, not only stopped the Venezuelan oil tanker Aquila II, but also seized it completely. This is the first time that America has given a direct message to Jinping by challenging a large oil cargo going towards China in the Indian Ocean, 10,000 miles away from the Caribbean.

The captured ship is a huge Suezmax class tanker, which was heading towards China carrying 7,00,000 barrels of heavy crude oil from Venezuelan state company PDVSA. Beijing had long been strengthening its economy by buying oil from Venezuela at deep discounts. Experts believe that this is the first time that America has directly disrupted China’s energy supply line, which till now was considered safe for China.

Pursued from the Caribbean Sea, captured in the Indian Ocean

According to the US Defense Department, this ship had violated the American Blockbuster ‘Quarantine’ imposed in the Caribbean. The US Army started tracking this ship from the shores of Venezuela itself. The tanker ‘Aquila II’ had escaped towards the Indian Ocean to avoid American surveillance. While moving towards Sunda Strait near Indonesia, American commandos attacked the ship in the dark of night and captured it without any struggle.

When the @DeptofWar says quarantine, we mean it. Nothing will stop DoW from defending our Homeland — even in oceans halfway around the world.

Overnight, US military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the… pic.twitter.com/kYVAQC5io9