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Pole Star Defense, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, utilizes advanced technology to monitor large cargo ships and oil tankers worldwide, including those attempting to evade detection. The company supports the U.S.

Coast Guard and participates in a global data-sharing operation mandated by the International Maritime Organization post-9/11. Ships send their location and data to satellites, which relay the information to national data centers.

The company has identified new challenges such as bridge carriers, which transfer cargo between vessels to obscure origins, complicating the tracking of sanctioned oil. Senior Solutions Engineer Richard Aguilar noted suspicious activity involving a tanker conducting a ship-to-ship transfer off the coast of Guyana.

Pole Star Defense has also contributed to tracking sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, assisting in U.S. Coast Guard operations. The company has grown from three to nearly 50 employees since its inception in the Maritime Defense and Technology Hub.