Originally published March 18, 2014
U.S. Navy SEALs boarded and took control of a rogue Libyan oil tanker that had evaded a naval blockade when it sailed from an eastern Libyan port earlier this month, according to a Reuters report.
The Morning Glory oil tanker, held by three armed Libyan rebels, sailed from the rebel-controlled port of As-Sidra in eastern Libya. In an operation authorised by President Obama, U.S. Navy SEALs intercepted the tanker 18 miles southwest of Cyprus late on Sunday evening, taking control of the vessel.
The oil tanker had a North Korean flag, but Pyongyang has since denied any responsibility for the tanker. The vessel, operated by an Egyptian company, was reported to have been carrying at least 234,000 barrels of crude oil owned by Libya's National Oil Company.
The operation, requested the Libyan and Cypriot governments, was carried out in international waters. The U.S. military is now escorting the vessel west across the Mediterranean.
The central government has been struggling to maintain control over the country since the toppling of dictator Moammar Gadhafi three years ago.
