US boards 5th tanker in crackdown on Venezuelan oil shipments

ISTANBUL

The US Coast Guard boarded a fifth oil tanker early Friday as Washington intensified efforts to enforce sanctions on Venezuelan oil shipments, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

Noem said the Coast Guard executed a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea.

"As another 'ghost fleet' tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed Venezuela attempting to evade U.S. forces," she said on US social media company X.

The operation was carried out with support from multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the State Department, and the Justice Department, she said, adding that the interagency coordination ensured the boarding was conducted safely and in accordance with law.

"The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality," she said.

Separately, the US military's Southern Command (SOUTCOM) said the operation was launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and apprehended the tanker in the Caribbean Sea "without incident."

"There is no safe haven for criminals," it added.

US President Donald Trump said the US, in coordination with Venezuela’s interim authorities, had taken control of an oil tanker because it departed the country “without our approval.

“This tanker is now on its way back to Venezuela, and the oil will be sold through the GREAT Energy Deal, which we have created for such sales,” he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

The Trump administration has intensified military operations in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since September, citing efforts against narcotics trafficking.

The latest tanker seizures came after the US carried out a Jan. 3 military operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Trump said his administration would "run" Venezuela and its oil assets during a transition period.

Earlier, Trump said he cancelled a previously expected second wave of attacks on Venezuela after cooperation from the South American nation. "However, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes," he said.