The FBI and Coast Guard boarded two foreign energy tankers in the Gulf of Mexico last month to investigate compromised networks. One vessel transported more than 2 million barrels of oil to Galveston and the second carried liquefied petroleum gas to another Texas port. Both ships were targeted by cyberattacks in August while transiting the Strait of Gibraltar.

US officials are probing whether Iran or an Iran aligned actor orchestrated the strikes, which would extend maritime cyber operations far beyond the Middle East. Coast Guard cyber teams examined systems controlling propulsion and navigation to prevent potential collisions or oil spills, though no injuries or loss of vessel control occurred. Government agencies are now tracking similar cyber threats against nearly 20 shipping vessels globally.