LNG Carrier Diverts After Suspected Cyber Fault, Third Recent Case
The Liberia-flagged LNG carrier Vivit Africa LNG changed course for Algeciras, Spain, on 16 September 2026 after control-system faults on a voyage from Cameron LNG in Louisiana toward Italy. U.S. FBI and Coast Guard boardings in August 2026 also covered VL Prosperity and Kohaku after signs of network intrusion.
Incident overview
A 299-meter Liberia-flagged liquefied natural gas carrier, Vivit Africa LNG, aborted a planned delivery to an Italian buyer after onboard systems failed during an Atlantic crossing. A 29 September 2026 security-news roundup, drawing on Bloomberg reporting dated 18 September 2026, said the crew treated the faults as a suspected cyber incident. The ship loaded cargo in late August 2026 at the Cameron LNG terminal in Louisiana, then held off Italy for several days before diverting.
On 16 September 2026 the vessel turned west toward Algeciras, Spain, without discharging the cargo in Italy. U.S. federal intelligence agencies were described as monitoring nearly 20 merchant ships worldwide. The case is the third recent episode in which a large commercial vessel reported network or control-system anomalies.
Vessel, load port, and routing
Vivit Africa LNG loaded at Cameron LNG, a U.S. export terminal in Louisiana, in late August 2026. The intended receiver was an Italian buyer. After the transatlantic passage the ship remained near Italy for several days and did not complete the original discharge.
The 16 September 2026 course change sent the carrier to Algeciras, a major port on the Strait of Gibraltar. The source account did not name a replacement buyer and did not confirm whether cargo would be discharged there. No CVE identifier, CVSS score, or vendor software version was published for the suspected incident.
FBI and Coast Guard boardings
Days before the Bloomberg report, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that they had boarded two foreign-flagged merchant ships entering the Gulf of Mexico. Officials said the inspections were meant to confirm the integrity of ship operating systems and information technology systems.
The two ships were identified as VL Prosperity and Kohaku. Reporting stated that both had shown signs of computer-network intrusion. VL Prosperity is a Liberia-flagged very large crude carrier. Federal officials separately confirmed a boarding of that tanker in late August 2026.
VL Prosperity communications outage
After VL Prosperity transited the Strait of Gibraltar in early August 2026, the crew reported a communications outage lasting more than 30 hours. Engine-room systems also failed in the same period. Those faults preceded the U.S. boarding and the later integrity checks on ships entering the Gulf of Mexico.
Kohaku was named with VL Prosperity as a vessel whose computer network showed intrusion indicators. The source did not publish Kohaku’s flag, cargo type, or a separate outage duration.
Reported effect on LNG cargo controls
Maritime Executive and Safety4Sea reported that during Vivit Africa LNG’s transit of the Strait of Gibraltar, the steam-pressure system and safety-valve system were affected. Marine Insight reported further disruption to automated tank-pressure controls as the ship approached Rovigo, Italy. According to that reporting, the faults interfered with the boil-off gas management cycle used to keep LNG cargo within safe pressure limits.
The carrier did not complete cargo operations at the original Italian destination. It held offshore and later sailed to Algeciras. The combination of suspected cyber faults, delayed arrival, and a changed discharge plan matches the two earlier tanker cases in the same reporting window only at the level of onboard system integrity, not at the level of a named vulnerability or patch.
Monitoring after the Louisiana loading
U.S. federal officials were reported to be tracking close to 20 merchant ships globally after the Cameron LNG loading and the August boardings. The FBI and Coast Guard described the Gulf of Mexico inspections as checks on operational technology and information technology, not as routine port-state control.
The 29 September 2026 roundup cited New Orleans CityBusiness coverage dated 22 September 2026. Named vessels in that account are Vivit Africa LNG, VL Prosperity, and Kohaku. Named agencies are the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard. Named locations are Cameron LNG in Louisiana, the Strait of Gibraltar, waters off Italy including the approach to Rovigo, and Algeciras, Spain.