Operation comes days after US seized Russian-flagged tanker; US pledges to proceed blockade following Maduro abduction.
Printed On 9 Jan 2026
The USA navy has seized one other oil tanker within the Caribbean, because it continues to focus on vessels sanctioned by Washington in its strain marketing campaign in opposition to Venezuela.
In a press release on Friday, the US navy Southern Command mentioned its forces had “apprehended” the Olina tanker “with out incident”.
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It didn’t say why the tanker was focused or supply additional particulars on alleged violations. The Wall Road Journal reported the tanker had beforehand been sanctioned by Washington for transporting Russian oil.
The operation comes two days after US forces seized two oil tankers, together with the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker, initially generally known as the Bella-1.
The US Division of Justice has since mentioned it was investigating the crew of the ship, which was seized within the northern Atlantic, for failing to adjust to coastguard orders and would pursue costs.
Russia has decried the seizure as a “gross violation” of worldwide maritime legislation and referred to as on the US to launch the crew.
Since US navy forces kidnapped Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, Washington has pledged to keep up its blockade on sanctioned oil tankers. It has additionally referred to as on Venezuela to staunch its ties with Russia and China.
US President Donald Trump has mentioned the operation in opposition to Maduro – which has been roundly condemned as a flagrant violation of worldwide legislation – in addition to the continued sanctions and navy strain, is aimed toward opening the nation’s huge oil reserves to US firms.
He was set to fulfill with oil and fuel executives on the White Home in a while Friday.
The US seized one other tanker within the Caribbean earlier this week, the M Sophia, which the navy described as a “stateless” vessel. Panama later mentioned the ship’s flag had been cancelled by the nation final 12 months.
US forces had beforehand seized the Skipper tanker and the Centuries vessel in December.
That month, 4 United Nations specialists mentioned the US had no “proper to implement unilateral sanctions via an armed blockade”. It mentioned the blockade constituted an “unlawful armed aggression” beneath worldwide legislation.
A bunch of UN specialists has extra just lately mentioned that the Trump administration’s plan to indefinitely management Venezuela’s oil trade represents a violation of its residents’ proper to self-determination.
Early on Friday, Trump mentioned on Fact Social that the US and Venezuela have been “working effectively collectively, particularly because it pertains to rebuilding, in a a lot greater, higher, and extra fashionable kind, their oil and fuel infrastructure”.
“Due to this cooperation, I’ve cancelled the beforehand anticipated second Wave of Assaults,” he mentioned, including that US navy ships would stay deployed to the area.
