US in the process of seizing another sanctioned vessel in the Caribbean | World News
The Olina left Venezuela last week fully loaded with oil. (Photo: RT)
The US is in the process of seizing the Olina tanker in the Caribbean near Trinidad in the fifth such interdiction of ships in recent weeks as part of Washington’s efforts to control Venezuelan oil exports, two officials told Reuters on Friday.The Olina, which was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste, had previously sailed from Venezuela and had returned to the region.“The vessel’s AIS (location) tracker was last active 52 days ago in the Venezuelan EEZ, northeast of Curacao,” British maritime risk management company Vanguard said separately.
BREAKING:The U.S. has launched an operation to detain the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea.The Olina, which, according to public shipping database Equasis, was falsely flying the flag of Timor-Leste, had previously sailed from Venezuela and had returned to the region. pic.twitter.com/QJ9TfrS03x— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 9, 2026
“The seizure follows a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in the region.”The Olina left Venezuela last week fully loaded with oil as part of a flotilla shortly after the US seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and the vessel was returning fully loaded to Venezuela following the US blockade of Venezuelan oil exports.
