The United States has seized another oil tanker linked to Venezuela, intensifying its efforts to restrict the country’s crude exports. U.S. officials confirmed on Friday that the vessel, Olina, was intercepted in the Caribbean, marking the fifth tanker targeted by Washington in recent weeks.
According to shipping records, the Olina had been falsely operating under the flag of Timor Leste. The tanker had previously sailed from Venezuela and had recently returned to the region. In a pre-dawn operation, U.S. marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, operating from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, boarded and apprehended the vessel without incident.
U.S. Southern Command said the operation sent a clear signal that there would be “no safe haven for criminals,” as Washington continues to enforce sanctions against Venezuelan oil shipments. Industry sources said the Olina left Venezuela last week fully loaded with crude as part of a flotilla that departed shortly after the U.S. seizure of President Nicolás Maduro on January 3. The tanker was reportedly returning toward Venezuelan waters amid a U.S. blockade on oil exports.
The Olina had been sanctioned by the U.S. last year under its former name, Minerva M, for being part of what Washington describes as a “shadow fleet” operating with limited oversight and unclear insurance.
Earlier this week, U.S. forces also seized the tanker M Sophia, which was part of the same group of vessels. While three other fully loaded tankers have already turned back toward Venezuela, several more were expected to follow.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reiterated that the blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil remains in force worldwide, underscoring Washington’s determination to tighten control over the country’s energy exports.
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