During an operation conducted at dawn, Marines and sailors from the joint operational group "Southern Spear," along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, seized the tanker Olina, representatives of the Southern Command reported on social media platform X. "This morning, our interagency forces reaffirmed that there is no safe place for criminals," they noted in their message.
Furthermore, the publication emphasizes that such operations are supported by the power of the U.S. Navy's amphibious strike group, which includes high-strike-capability ships such as USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale. "Operation 'Southern Spear' continues its mission to protect the country, curbing illegal activities and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere," the command added.
According to The Bell, the registration number of Olina matches that of the tanker Minerva M, which was sanctioned by the U.S. in January 2025 as part of the "shadow fleet" used to transport Russian oil in violation of Western restrictions.
According to Reuters, the tanker Olina is registered under the flag of East Timor. It last transmitted its location data 52 days ago in mid-November, while near the coast of Venezuela. This movement data was provided by the British maritime risk management company Vanguard.
The seizure of Olina marked the fifth interception of a vessel as part of the operation targeting tankers involved in the export of Venezuelan oil. U.S. authorities estimate that about 70 percent of Venezuelan oil exports are linked to "shadow fleet" vessels.
Earlier, the tanker Bella 1, owned by a Russian company, was also seized by the U.S. in the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel had evaded American military pursuit for over two weeks while being accompanied by Russian naval forces.
In response to the seizure of the tanker, Russia called the event an illegal use of force.
