US Seizes Fifth Oil Tanker Linked to Venezuela
The United States has seized another oil tanker connected to Venezuela, marking the fifth such vessel intercepted in recent weeks. The ship, named Olina, was taken in the Caribbean Sea during a pre-dawn operation involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Marines and Navy, officials said.
U.S. authorities described the Olina as part of a “ghost fleet” — ships suspected of carrying embargoed Venezuelan oil and evading sanctions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the seizure sends a strong message that “there is no safe haven for criminals.”
The Olina was previously sanctioned and has been linked to efforts to transport oil in ways that bypass international and U.S. penalties. It had been sailing without a clear signal of its location — a tactic often associated with sanction-evading “shadow fleet” vessels.
This latest seizure is part of a broader push by the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s administration to curb Venezuelan oil exports and enforce sanctions, especially following heightened tensions after recent U.S. actions in Venezuela.