The Guinea-flagged oil tanker MT Bandra, which is under sanctions, is partially seen alongside another vessel at El Palito terminal, near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on December 29, 2025. (Reuters)
US forces intercept another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, US military says
US forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, according to the US military on Friday, as the Trump administration continues to target sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela.
The pre-dawn action was carried out by US Marines and Navy, taking part in the monthslong buildup of forces in the Caribbean, according to US Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the vessel called the Olina.
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Navy officials couldn’t immediately provide details about whether the Coast Guard was part of the force that took control of the vessel as has been the case in the previous seizures.
The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by US forces as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products globally following the US ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.
Read more:
Moscow says US released two Russian crew from seized tanker
Venezuela’s decisions to be ‘dictated’ by US, White House says
Pentagon chief says Venezuela oil blockade in effect ‘anywhere in the world’
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