US seizes fifth tanker as military stalks the ocean for Venezuelan oil
The latest seizure comes hours before Trump is set to meet with top oil executives
The U.S. has seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean, marking the fifth vessel targeted in recent weeks as Washington steps up efforts to curb Venezuelan oil exports.
U.S. forces stormed the Olina tanker near Trinidad, which was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste, according to public shipping database Equasis.
In a pre-dawn move, marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, launched from the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, apprehended the Olina in the Caribbean Sea "without incident," the U.S. Southern Command said on X.
"Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: 'there is no safe haven for criminals,'" it said.
The Olina left Venezuela last week fully loaded with oil as part of a flotilla shortly after the U.S. seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and the vessel was returning fully loaded to Venezuela following the U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, an industry source told Reuters.
"The vessel’s AIS (location) tracker was last active 52 days ago in the Venezuelan EEZ, northeast of Curacao," British maritime risk management company Vanguard said separately.
"The seizure follows a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in the region."
The U.S. imposed sanctions on the tanker in January last year, when it was named the Minerva M, for what Washington said was it being part of the so-called shadow fleet of ships that sail with little regulation or known insurance.
The ship was sanctioned for its role in transporting Russian oil, The Wall Street Journal reported, with Friday’s seizure by the U.S. risking further inflaming tensions with Russia after the U.S. seized a ship being escorted by the Russian Navy earlier this week.
In that seizure, the military and Coast Guard intercepted the Marinera tanker in waters northwest of Scotland after a two-week chase.
The vessel had evaded a U.S. blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela, a measure the administration had implemented before an elite unit seized Venezuelan Maduro in the early hours of Saturday.
After evading capture, it renamed itself from the Bella 1 and painted a Russian flag on its side in what appeared to be a bid for protection from Moscow.
The M Sophia, another of the tankers that was part of a flotilla of a dozen vessels that left Venezuela earlier this month, was seized by U.S. forces earlier this week.
Three vessels - Skylyn, Min Hang and Merope - all fully loaded and part of the same flotilla that left last week, sailed back to Venezuelan waters Thursday, according to the industry source.
Seven additional tankers from that flotilla, also fully loaded, were set to return to Venezuelan waters Friday and Saturday, the person said.
All of the oil on board these 10 tankers is owned by Venezuelan state producer PDVSA, the person added. PDVSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was unclear whether Washington would take action on the other tankers sailing towards Venezuela.
The U.S. blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil remains in full effect "anywhere in the world," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.
Also Wednesday, Trump administration officials announced that the U.S. plans to indefinitely control Venezuelan oil sales as a means to stabilize the country’s economy and rebuild its neglected oil sector.
Officials say the U.S. will maintain the country’s massive reserves to ensure proceeds from sales are used “for the benefit of the American people and the Venezuelan people.”
Trump is set to meet with oil executives Friday to try and persuade America’s largest energy companies to restore Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
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