Coast Guard, FBI boarded Texas-bound oil tanker after ship’s network was potentially breached

Updated on: September 16, 2026 / 4:53 AM EDT / CBS News

Coast Guard personnel and FBI agents boarded a Texas-bound commercial oil tanker in the Atlantic last month after determining the ship's network may have been compromised by a foreign actor, the Coast Guard said Tuesday. Iranian state media claimed that hackers obtained control over propulsion, navigation and cargo systems and lost communications for 30 hours.

The Coast Guard did not disclose the name of the ship, but Iranian reports identified it as the VL Prosperity, a massive 333-meter supertanker capable of carrying roughly 2.3 million barrels of oil. Public vessel data shows the Liberian-flagged very large crude carrier was bound for Galveston, Texas. South Korea-based HMM Ocean Service Co., Ltd., which manages the VL Prosperity, confirmed the Coast Guard had boarded the vessel.

On Aug. 20, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that VL Prosperity had been attacked and had lost communications on Aug. 7 while sailing from Egypt's Sidi Kerir terminal toward the U.S. Citing an unnamed crew member, Mehr's report alleged that the attackers penetrated engine-room systems, reduced engine cooling flow, increased engine speed and interfered with fuel and lubricating-oil systems.

According to the Coast Guard, a…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/