The US seized the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea this morning after it departed Venezuela.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X:
The world’s criminals are on notice.Early this morning, the @USCG executed a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. As another “ghost fleet” tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed Venezuela attempting to evade U.S. forces.Close coordination with the @DeptofWar, @StateDept, and @TheJusticeDept ensured a safe, effective boarding consistent with law.The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality.The Coast Guard will seize sanctioned oil tankers, enforce U.S. and international law, and eliminate these funding streams for illicit activity including narco-terrorism.We are deeply proud of the Coast Guard’s maritime fighting force for their relentless execution of this mission. This is owning the sea.
Reuters reported that Olina “was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste, had previously sailed from Venezuela and had returned to the region.”
British maritime risk management company Vanguard said Olina’s tracker last showed it to be active 52 days ago, northeast of Curaçao.
The US sanctioned Olina last year:
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, the industry source said.The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Olina 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.
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