Maritimes Crimes

The Strait of Hormuz mining threat has become one of the most serious maritime security concerns in the Middle East. This narrow passage between Iran and Oman connects the Persian …

The Nigerian Navy says it has disrupted a suspected sea robbery attempt and rescued 16 civilian passengers after an armed group seized a fibre passenger boat on the Ibaka–Calabar Channel, …

France sends carrier strike group amid Middle East tensions The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier Mediterranean deployment highlights France’s rapid naval response as tensions rise across the Middle East. In …

Kharg Island oil terminal plays a central role in Iran’s energy system and maritime traffic across the Persian Gulf. Located about 25 km off the Iranian coast in Bushehr Province, …

Explosions and fire reported aboard the LNG carrier A Russian LNG tanker attack in the Central Mediterranean has raised new concerns about maritime security linked to the war between Russia …

Shipping halted after US strikes on Iran The Strait of Hormuz closure has triggered immediate disruption across global oil trade after US strikes on Iran this weekend reportedly killed Supreme …

A suspected Russian drone near Charles de Gaulle was reported on 26 February 2026, as the French Navy’s aircraft carrier was docked in Malmö, Sweden, during a NATO-linked port visit. …

European Union naval coordination is moving to a new level as commanders from three EU maritime operations met in Rome on 25 February 2026 to strengthen cooperation across a rapidly …

Summary Firefight occurred near Cayo Falcones, off northern Cuba Four killed, six injured aboard a Florida-registered speedboat Cuba alleges terrorist infiltration attempt US authorities conducting a parallel investigation Incident increases …

Maritime cybersecurity is becoming a critical pillar of global security as ships and ports rely more on digital systems. At the crossroads of technology and policy, Strahinja “Strajo” Janjusevic is …

Strategic stop in the Eastern Mediterranean The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has anchored at Souda Bay in Crete for a four-day logistical stop before redeploying …

Maritime patrol disrupted during MDA flight China signal jamming allegations have escalated tensions in the West Philippine Sea after the Philippine Coast Guard reported satellite disruption near Bajo de Masinloc …

The Cuba fuel crisis entered a new phase on February 16 as the product tanker Nicos I.V. docked in Matanzas Bay, western Cuba. The 183-meter vessel, flying the flag of …

In a significant step for European naval innovation, unmanned maritime platforms Italy cooperation was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Naples on February 17, 2026. HAVELSAN, Piloda Defence …

The Argentina maritime strike has disrupted port operations nationwide as unions protest President Javier Milei’s labor reform. Maritime federations including FESIMAF launched a 48-hour stoppage, while the CGT called a …

The Arctic has long been a place of exploration rather than routine trade, because sea ice, darkness and limited infrastructure made navigation uncertain and costly. That equation is changing. As …

Turkey and Israel are no longer separated only by rhetoric and episodic diplomatic crises. Across the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond, the relationship is increasingly interpreted—by officials, lawmakers and analysts in …

Rebuilding shipbuilding and reshaping fleet economics The U.S. Maritime Action Plan, released on February 13, 2026, sets out a long-term strategy to revive the US shipbuilding industry and strengthen the …

Iran holds live-fire drills in key shipping lane Strait of Hormuz shipping security came under renewed scrutiny after Iran temporarily closed parts of the strategic waterway during live-fire military drills. …

Marine litter has become one of the most pressing environmental and maritime governance challenges worldwide. Across the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, plastic …

The Jeanne d’Arc 2026 deployment is the French Navy’s five-month training and operational mission, briefed on 5 February by Capt. (N) Jocelyn Delrieu. Sailing on the amphibious assault ship Dixmude …

Introduction When the oil tanker Grinch was boarded in the Alboran Sea and diverted under escort to the Marseille-Fos terminal area in January 2026, the episode was presented not as …

The French Navy cocaine seizure of 2.4 tonnes in French Polynesia confirms the Pacific Ocean’s growing role as a strategic corridor for cocaine trafficking. Conducted in cooperation with the United …

Government suspends registrations amid fraud concerns The Cameroon ship registry is facing intense international scrutiny after the government announced the suspension of new registrations for vessels operating outside national waters. …

Captain pleads not guilty to infrastructure damage The Baltic Sea cable damage case involving the Hong Kong-registered container ship NewNew Polar Bear has entered a new judicial phase. On February …

By Argenis Rodriguez, maritime lawyer Part 2 While international law clearly establishes the obligation for vessels to have a nationality, it remains largely silent on the legal consequences faced by …

The Lightfish unmanned surface vessel was launched for the first time from a partner nation ship during Exercise Cutlass Express 2026 off Seychelles in the Indian Ocean on February 9–10, …

East China Sea: Japan arrests Chinese fishing vessel Japan arrests Chinese fishing vessel inside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the East China Sea, in what officials describe as the …

Singapore: GT Win tanker death captain jailed The Singapore tanker death case involving the Vietnam-registered chemical tanker GT Win resulted in a 14-month jail sentence for its former captain on …

Strengthening maritime security through national coordination Exercise SEA GUARD 2026 was conducted from 2 to 9 February 2026 across Pakistan’s key maritime zones, including Karachi, Ormara and Gwadar. Led by …

Fishing vessel intercepted on the High Seas The French Navy cocaine seizure carried out in the Atlantic Ocean highlights the growing sophistication of maritime drug trafficking routes between South America …

US forces intercept sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean US military forces have boarded and seized the sanctioned oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after a pursuit that …

In the Andaman Sea, maritime authorities are responding to an oil spill and container loss after the Panama-flagged container ship Sealloyd Arc sank off Phuket on 7 February while sailing …

Indian authorities have intensified enforcement against the Iranian shadow oil fleet after detaining three oil tankers linked to fuel smuggling operations in the Arabian Sea. The operation, conducted on February …

By Argenis Rodriguez, maritime lawyer Part 1 The nationality of a ship is one of the most important aspects of maritime law. As is well known, although ships are not …

The crude-oil tanker previously tracked under the name Boracay (IMO 9332810) has been recorded under a new identity in early 2026, with public reporting and registry data indicating a shift …

Turkey: Razouk cargo ship grounding in Bosphorus A 100-metre cargo ship flying the Comoros flag has run aground in the Bosphorus Strait, highlighting renewed maritime safety concerns along one of …

Central mediterranean migrant shipwrecks deepen in early 2026 In early 2026, Central Mediterranean migrant shipwrecks have already left hundreds of people feared dead or missing, according to warnings from the …

Western Mediterranean: what we actually know about the Ursa Major sinking The sinking of the Russian heavy-lift cargo ship Ursa Major in the western Mediterranean on 23–24 December 2024 became …

The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Persian Gulf represents a significant reinforcement of U.S. maritime security capabilities in one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors. Operating …

Portuguese authorities have carried out a record narco-submarine cocaine seizure in the Atlantic Ocean, intercepting a semi-submersible vessel approximately 230 nautical miles (426 km) from the Azores. Nearly nine tonnes …

On 22 January 2026, a flag state control operation was conducted by the French Navy in the western Mediterranean Sea. French naval units intervened in the Alboran Sea to inspect …

Mediterranean Sea: flag state control on tanker GRINCH On 22 January 2026, a flag state control operation was conducted by the French Navy in the western Mediterranean Sea. French naval …

On 17 January 2026, the United Nations High Seas Treaty—formally the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (often called the …

French naval forces have seized 4.87 tonnes of cocaine aboard a fishing vessel intercepted in the maritime zone of French Polynesia. The operation, conducted on 16 January, is one of …

A China-led drill at a strategic maritime crossroads South Africa came under diplomatic pressure following the BRICS+ naval exercise “Will for Peace 2026”, which was held off its southern coastline …

Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), working with Spain’s Tax Agency and other partners, say they have dismantled a drug-smuggling network that used teams of strong swimmers to place cocaine into …

The sea is a violent place for soft-bodied life. A jellyfish may be sliced by a fish bite, torn by turbulence, or shredded by contact with hard structures yet still …

The U.S. boarding and seizure of the tanker Marinera previously known as Bella 1 on 7 January 2026 in the North Atlantic was not a routine sanctions enforcement action. It …

Hardly any war has ever been fought exclusively with regular soldiers. Over the past decade, Russia’s state-sponsored irregular armed groups and private military/security companies (PMSCs) have expanded the repertoire of …