United States forces have seized yet another oil tanker in the Caribbean as Washington intensifies its crackdown on Venezuelan crude exports under President Donald Trump administration.
According to BBC, the vessel, identified as Olina, is already listed under multiple international sanctions regimes and is the fifth tanker confiscated by US authorities in recent weeks.
US officials say the seizures are aimed at pressuring Venezuela’s interim government while dismantling what they describe as a “dark fleet” — a network of more than 1,000 vessels allegedly used to transport sanctioned and illicit oil.
“Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning, ‘there is no safe haven for criminals,’” the US military’s Southern Command said on Friday.
According to reports, the Olina departed Venezuelan waters late Sunday, shortly after US forces carried out a pre-dawn raid that resulted in the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro.
Officials disclosed that the operation took place before sunrise, with Marines and US Navy sailors working alongside the Department of Homeland Security.
The tanker was intercepted after it “departed Venezuela attempting to evade US forces.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on X that the ship was “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil.”
She also posted a video appearing to show troops descending onto the vessel from a helicopter, describing the mission as “safe” and “effective.”
Maritime risk firm Vanguard Tech reported that the Olina was attempting to breach the US naval blockade in the Caribbean.
The company said the tanker was sailing under a false Timor-Leste registration, according to records from the International Maritime Organization.
Vanguard Tech added that the vessel’s tracking system last transmitted its location 52 days ago near Curaçao, noting that “the seizure follows a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in the region.”
The US had sanctioned the Olina in January under its former name, Minerva M, accusing it of helping finance Russia’s war in Ukraine by transporting Russian oil to foreign buyers.
Earlier in the week, US authorities announced the seizure of two additional tankers linked to Venezuelan oil exports during consecutive operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean.
One of the vessels, the Russian-flagged Marinera, was intercepted with assistance from the UK Royal Navy, which provided both air and sea support.
US officials allege the Marinera is part of a shadow fleet moving oil for Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions. They added that the tanker had falsely flown Guyana’s flag last month, rendering it stateless.
The second vessel, the M/T Sophia, was accused by US authorities of “conducting illicit activities.”
Maritime law experts told BBC Verify that under UN international maritime law, stateless vessels may be legally boarded by foreign authorities.
President Donald Trump has said Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, “will be turning over” as much as 50 million barrels of oil valued at approximately $2.8bn (£2.1bn) to the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the oil would be sold “in the marketplace at market rates,” adding that Washington would oversee how the proceeds are distributed “in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people.”
Meanwhile, US diplomats travelled to Caracas on Friday to explore the possibility of reopening the American embassy in Venezuela.
Diplomatic relations between both countries were cut in 2019 after Maduro severed ties with Washington. Venezuela’s new authorities say preliminary discussions are ongoing over restoring relations.
