US Seizes a Fifth Oil Tanker: ‘No Safe Haven for Criminals’ heightening tensions with Russia

U.S. forces have quietly intensified efforts to intercept sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments, boarding a fifth tanker early Friday in what officials describe as an expanding maritime crackdown with global repercussions. According to U.S. officials, the latest vessel targeted was the Olina, an East Timor–flagged tanker previously known as the Minerva M and already under U.S. sanctions for transporting Russian oil, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Shipping data show the tanker had not publicly broadcast its location since mid-November, when it was operating near Venezuela’s coastline while sailing under what analysts say was a false flag. U.S. officials told NBC News that the operation was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard in coordination with Joint Task Force Southern Spear.

“There is no safe haven for criminals,” U.S. Southern Command said following the seizure, according to the Associated Press. Data from analytics firm Kpler indicate the Olina loaded roughly 700,000 barrels of Merey crude at Venezuela’s Jose terminal on Christmas Eve. European shipping database Equasis lists the vessel’s owner as Tantye Peur Ltd., a Hong Kong–based company, the Journal reported.

The action is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to increase pressure on Venezuela’s government and dismantle what officials refer to as the “dark” or “shadow” fleet—an estimated 1,000 or more tankers that use deceptive practices to transport sanctioned oil. Analysts estimate that roughly 70% of Venezuela’s crude exports now rely on such vessels to evade U.S. sanctions, often using aging ships linked to Russian and Iranian networks.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the maritime blockade provides Washington with “the strongest leverage possible” over Caracas and its international partners. Recent seizures, including the widely reported boarding of the tanker Bella 1 while it was being shadowed by Russian naval vessels, have heightened tensions with Moscow.

To support the interdictions, the U.S. Navy has deployed several warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, while the Pentagon has backed some operations with special forces, AC-130J gunships, and P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft. Legal experts say Russia, concerned about U.S. actions against tankers carrying its oil, has responded by allowing dark-fleet vessels operating near Venezuela to register under its flag with minimal oversight.

The escalating standoff comes as Washington and Moscow are already divided over a proposed framework for peace in Ukraine, adding further strain to an already tense relationship.

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