U.S. Probes Cyberattacks on Texas-Bound Oil Tankers

U.S. authorities boarded two oil tankers bound for Texas in August 2026 after cyberattacks compromised the vessels' systems while they were at sea, according to officials. The incidents have raised concerns about the security of maritime critical infrastructure as investigators work to identify the attackers. The U.S. Coast Guard and FBI boarded the tankers on August 21 and August 24, respectively, after indications that their networks had been compromised by foreign cyber actors. One of the vessels was the VL Prosperity, a Liberian-flagged supertanker carrying approximately 2.3 million barrels of oil. Public vessel data shows the VL Prosperity departed Egypt's Sidi Kerir oil terminal on August 1 and was headed to Galveston, Texas, when it slowed near the Strait of Gibraltar around the time of a cyberattack on August 7. Investigators found evidence of malicious cyber activity after assessing the vessels' information technology and other onboard systems. Rear Adm. Amy Grable, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command, stated that response teams did not find any evidence indicating the ships had become unsafe to navigate when they boarded.