Tanker Seized! Is Venezuela Blockade Spiraling Out of Control?!

WASHINGTON – The U.S. has ratcheted up the pressure on Venezuela, seizing the tanker Olina in the Caribbean, according to U.S. officials on Friday. This marks the fifth vessel seized in recent weeks as the U.S. aggressively targets Venezuelan oil exports, continuing the ongoing blockade.

Tanker Seized! Is Venezuela Blockade Spiraling Out...

The Olina, reportedly carrying a full load of oil, had left Venezuela as part of a group of ships. According to the Equasis shipping database, it appears it was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste. An industry source familiar with the situation stated the tanker had previously sailed from Venezuela, then returned to the region.

In what's being described as a pre-dawn operation, U.S. Southern Command announced on X (formerly Twitter) that marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, operating from the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, apprehended the Olina "without incident" in the Caribbean Sea. "Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: 'there is no safe haven for criminals,'" the command declared. The message is clear: the U.S. intends to enforce its sanctions.

British maritime risk management firm Vanguard noted that the vessel’s AIS (location) tracker was last active 52 days ago in the Venezuelan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), northeast of Curacao. This period of inactivity adds another layer of suspicion to the Olina’s activities.

It's worth noting that the U.S. sanctioned the tanker back in January of last year, when it was named the Minerva M. Washington cited its alleged involvement in a "shadow fleet" of vessels operating with minimal regulation and questionable insurance practices. These "shadow fleets" are a growing concern, making it harder to track and control illicit trade.

Just earlier this week, U.S. forces seized another tanker, the M Sophia, which also belonged to a flotilla that departed Venezuela earlier this month. But it's not all one-way traffic. An industry source says three other vessels – Skylyn, Min Hang, and Merope – all fully laden and part of the same flotilla, turned back towards Venezuelan waters on Thursday. Seven more tankers from the same group were scheduled to do the same on Friday and Saturday.

The industry source confirmed that all the oil on board these 10 tankers belongs to Venezuelan state producer PDVSA. As of this writing, PDVSA has not responded to requests for comment on the matter. The big question now is whether Washington will take further action against these returning tankers. According to War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, the U.S. blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil remains in full effect "anywhere in the world." It seems the situation is far from over, and the tensions in the Caribbean are only likely to escalate in the coming weeks.