US forces seize fifth Venezuela-linked oil tanker
US forces have seized a fifth tanker in the Caribbean Sea, officials said, as Washington continues its efforts to control the export of Venezuelan oil.
“Our joint interagency forces once again sent a clear message this morning: ‘there is no safe haven for criminals,'” US Southern Command said in a statement on channel X.
Friday morning’s X post said Marines and sailors in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security had “captured” the Olina oil tanker.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Olina was “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil” and was captured “after leaving Venezuela while attempting to evade U.S. forces.”
Noem posted a video online showing soldiers landing on the ship from a helicopter.
The tanker named Olina is on the sanctions list of many countries and is the fifth ship seized by the USA in recent weeks.
Maritime risk firm Vanguard Tech said the ship was trying to bypass the US naval blockade in the Caribbean.
It was stated that the ship’s location tracker was last active 52 days ago in the northeast of Curacao and that “the seizure followed a long-term pursuit of tankers associated with Venezuelan oil shipments subject to sanctions in the region.”
Earlier this week, the United States announced the seizure of two more tankers linked to Venezuelan oil exports in “back-to-back” operations in the North Atlantic and Caribbean.
One of these was the Russian-flagged Marinera, which was captured with the help of the British Royal Navy, which provided logistical support by air and sea.
Marinera is alleged to be part of a shadow fleet that carries oil to Venezuela, Russia and Iran, bypassing US sanctions.
US officials claimed that the second tanker, M/T Sophia, was “engaged in illegal activities”.
The moves come as the United States seeks to halt most Venezuelan crude oil exports and just days after its special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a lightning raid on his home in Caracas.
Venezuela, which has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, will “transfer” up to 50 million barrels of oil worth about $2.8bn (£2.1bn) to the US, President Donald Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the oil would be sold “in the market at market prices” and that the United States would control how the proceeds were distributed “for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”
