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Tanker Olina Seized by U.S. Forces in Caribbean After Leaving Venezuelan Waters

The tanker Olina, flying the flag of East Timor, has been seized by U.S. forces in the Caribbean after breaking a maritime blockade near Venezuela, Reuters reports.

Earlier, the vessel had left Venezuela and then returned to the region, where it was intercepted. This marks the fifth tanker seizure in recent weeks as Washington steps up efforts to control Venezuelan oil exports. According to Equasis, the ship is owned by Hong Kong-registered company Tantye Peur.

Data from Vesselfinder identifies Olina as an oil tanker under sanctions from the U.S., EU, and the U.K. Currently, the vessel is sailing under an unknown flag, whereas in 2025 it was registered under São Tomé and Príncipe.

During the G7+ oil embargo, the tanker was involved in exporting Russian oil and petroleum products from ports in the Baltic, Black, and Pacific Seas, primarily to China, India, and Turkey. Greenpeace classifies Olina as part of a “shadow fleet” transporting Russian oil, posing environmental risks.

The vessel has been under sanctions since December 2024, when the U.K. imposed restrictions. In January 2025, the U.S. followed suit, and Canada, the EU, and Switzerland implemented similar measures in February. Australia and New Zealand added sanctions in June 2025.

On Thursday, U.S. forces also seized two other tankers linked to Venezuela. One was the VLCC Marinera (built in 2002, formerly Bella 1), which the U.S. Coast Guard first attempted to intercept on December 20 in the Caribbean. It was eventually seized after being pursued across the North Atlantic. The second tanker, M Sophia (built in 2004, 320,000 DWT), was intercepted in the Caribbean and is now under U.S. escort.

Update 16:52:

U.S. forces are conducting an operation to seize the tanker Olina in the Caribbean near Trinidad and Tobago, according to Reuters sources.

An anonymous shipping industry source confirmed that the vessel was coming from Venezuela.

According to Vesselfinder, Olina is an oil tanker under sanctions by the U.S., EU, and U.K., currently sailing under an unknown flag. In 2025, it sailed under the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe.