US forces have stepped up pressure on Venezuela’s oil exports with the seizure of another tanker linked to sanctioned crude shipments, marking a fifth such interception in recent weeks as part of a broader campaign to enforce American sanctions at sea.
According to military and maritime sources, the tanker Olina – operating under a false Timor‑Leste flag – was intercepted in the Caribbean near Trinidad today. The vessel had broken away from a US naval blockade around Venezuelan waters. Her AIS signal was last recorded 52 days ago in the Venezuelan exclusive economic zone northeast of Curacao.
Maritime tracking databases show that Olina is owned by the Hong Kong‑based shipping company Tantye Peur. The tanker left Venezuela last week fully loaded with oil and was returning to Venezuela under the U.S. blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, the industry source said.
The Olina’s seizure follows other high‑profile operations by US forces targeting tankers suspected of transporting Venezuelan oil in violation of sanctions. Earlier this week, the United States seized two additional Venezuela‑linked vessels: the Marinera, a Russian‑flagged tanker pursued across the North Atlantic for more than two weeks, and the M Sophia, intercepted in the Caribbean.
US authorities say these measures are designed to halt unauthorized Venezuelan oil exports and enforce sanctions on the so‑called “shadow fleet” of tankers that attempt to evade controls by turning off AIS transponders or sailing under misleading flags.
