As Washington intensifies attempts to limit Venezuelan oil shipments, the U.S. has seized the Olina tanker in the Caribbean, the fifth vessel targeted in recent weeks, according to U.S. authorities on Friday.
An industry source with firsthand knowledge of the situation stated that the Olina, which was purportedly flying the flag of Timor Leste according to the public maritime database Equasis, had previously sailed from Venezuela and returned to the area.
The U.S. Southern Command reported on X that the Olina was captured "without incident" in the Caribbean Sea by marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, which was launched from the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
"Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: 'there is no safe haven for criminals,'" added the statement.
The Olina was returning fully laden to Venezuela after the U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, according to an industry source.
The Olina departed Venezuela last week as part of a flotilla shortly after the U.S. apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
According to a supplementary statement from British maritime risk management firm Vanguard, "The vessel's AIS (location) tracker was last active 52 days ago in the Venezuelan EEZ, northeast of Curacao."
"The seizure follows a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in the region." When the Olina was renamed the Minerva M in January of last year, the United States placed sanctions on it because, according to Washington, it was a member of the so called "shadow fleet" of ships that operate with minimal oversight or insurance.
Earlier this week, U.S. forces seized the M Sophia, another tanker in a flotilla of twelve ships that departed Venezuela earlier this month.
According to the industry source, three fully loaded ships from the same flotilla that departed last week Skylyn, Min Hang, and Merope sailed back to Venezuelan seas on Thursday.
According to the individual, seven more fully laden tankers from the armada were scheduled to return to Venezuelan seas on Friday and Saturday.
"At least seven 'dark fleet' oil vessels have turned around to avoid interdiction because they know we mean business," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated on X on Friday.
The individual said that the Venezuelan state producer PDVSA owns all of the oil on board these ten vessels. A request for comment was not immediately answered by PDVSA.
Regarding the other tankers headed for Venezuela, it was unclear if Washington would intervene. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that the U.S. ban on sanctioned Venezuelan oil is still in full force "anywhere in the world".
