According to a source close to the situation, the tanker Olina, which, as indicated by the public shipping database Equasis, improperly used the flag of East Timor, had previously departed from Venezuela and returned to the region.
The British company Vanguard, which deals with maritime risks, noted that the vessel's tracking system was active for the last time 52 days ago in the exclusive economic zone of Venezuela, located northeast of Curaçao.
Last week, Olina left Venezuela fully loaded with oil and returned to the region shortly after the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, the source clarified.
Later, the U.S. Southern Command confirmed the seizure of the tanker Olina through its page on the social network X, posting a corresponding video.
The command's message stated: "Our joint interagency forces have sent a clear signal again: criminals have no safe haven."
The operation was conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Marines and sailors began actions from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.
According to military information, the entire operation was carried out "without incidents."
