“The U.S. has seized the Olina tanker in the Caribbean, the fifth such vessel in recent weeks, as Washington steps up efforts to curb Venezuelan oil exports.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Illustrative photo: Getty Images Source: about this, as “Europeyska Pravda” writes, Reuters reports with reference to American officials.
Details: The Olina, which according to public shipping database Equasis was flying the flag of Timor-Leste, had previously sailed from Venezuela and returned to the region, an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter said.
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In the pre-dawn hours, Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, intercepted the Olina in the Caribbean Sea “without incident,” US Southern Command said in X.
“This morning, our combined interagency forces again sent a clear signal: there is no safe haven for criminals,” the message reads.
The Olina left Venezuela last week fully loaded with oil as part of a flotilla shortly after the U.S. detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3 and was returning fully loaded to Venezuela following a U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil exports, an industry source said.
“The vessel’s AIS (location) tracker was last active 52 days ago in the Venezuelan exclusive economic zone, northeast of Curacao,” British maritime risk management company Vanguard said separately.
“The detention is the result of a long pursuit of tankers linked to the supply of Venezuelan oil under sanctions in the region.”
The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Olina last January, when it was called the Minerva M, for what Washington said was part of a so-called shadow fleet of vessels that sail without much regulation or known insurance.
The M Sophia, another tanker that was part of a flotilla of a dozen vessels that left Venezuela earlier this month, was detained by US forces earlier this week.
The three vessels – Skylyn, Min Hang and Merope – all fully loaded and part of the same flotilla that sailed last week, returned to Venezuelan waters on Thursday, according to an industry source.
Seven more tankers from that flotilla, also fully loaded, were due to return to Venezuelan waters on Friday and Saturday, the person said.
All the oil on board these 10 tankers belongs to Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, the source added.
It is unclear whether Washington will take action against other tankers bound for Venezuela.
The U.S. embargo on Venezuelan oil that has been sanctioned remains in effect “anywhere in the world,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday.
It will be recalled that on January 7, the American military took control of two tankers, including the Bella 1 vessel under the Russian flag, which they pursued for more than two weeks. The vessels are accused of violating the sanctions policy.
US Vice President JD Vance described the Bella 1 tanker as a bogus Russian oil tanker that was only pretending to be Russian to avoid justice.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that in response to Russia’s appeal, US President Donald Trump ordered the release of two Russian citizens, crew members of the Bella 1 tanker.