In brief
US Southern Command confirmed the seizure of the Olina oil tanker in the Caribbean, marking the fifth such detention in recent weeks. Coordinated efforts by US Marines and the Department of Homeland Security targeted the vessel as part of a broader strategy to regulate Venezuelan oil exports, which remain under international sanctions.
US forces have seized another tanker in the Caribbean Sea, officials said, as Washington continues its efforts to control exports of Venezuelan oil.
Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: 'there is no safe haven for criminals,' US Southern Command said on X.
The X post on Friday morning stated that Marines and sailors, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended the Olina oil tanker.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the Olina was another 'ghost fleet' tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil and was seized after it departed Venezuela attempting to evade US forces.
Noem also posted a video online appearing to show troops dropping onto a ship from a helicopter. The tanker, the Olina, is on multiple countries' sanctions lists.
This seizure marks the fifth vessel taken by the US in recent weeks. Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech noted that the vessel was attempting to break through the US naval blockade in the Caribbean.
According to tracking data, the vessel's location tracker was last active 52 days ago, northeast of Curacao, indicating a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in the region.
