In brief
US officials have announced the seizure of the Olina oil tanker as part of an aggressive strategy to combat illegal Venezuelan oil exports. The US Southern Command confirmed the operation involved Marines and sailors in coordination with Homeland Security, escalating efforts to enforce sanctions against oil smugglers. The Olina is suspected to have left Venezuela to evade US naval forces, illustrating the broader challenges of enforcing maritime law in the wake of ongoing sanctions against Venezuelan oil shipments.
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 stated 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 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.
It is the fifth vessel seized by the US in recent weeks.
Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech reported that the vessel was attempting to break through the US naval blockade in the Caribbean.
The company's analysis revealed that the vessel's location tracker was last active 52 days ago, northeast of Curacao, causing alarm regarding its attempts to breach the blockade. The seizure follows a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in the region.
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