The U.S. military and Coast Guard seized the sanctioned oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea on January 10, 2026—the fifth such interception in an escalating operation to enforce sanctions and reshape Venezuela's oil industry after Nicolás Maduro's ouster.
Building on prior tanker seizures, U.S. Southern Command reported that Marines and Navy personnel from the USS Gerald R. Ford boarded the Olina pre-dawn on Friday, with the Coast Guard assuming control. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared footage of the operation, calling it another 'ghost fleet' vessel attempting to evade detection after departing Venezuela.
The Olina (formerly Minerva M), flagged under questionable Timor-Leste registration after prior Panama flagging and sanctions for Russian oil transport, had gone dark north of Venezuela since November. TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani confirmed it among 16 vessels documented fleeing the coast, loaded with an estimated 707,000 barrels of oil valued at over $42 million.
This action follows the Trump administration's removal of Maduro and aims to dominate Venezuela's oil production, refining, and sales. President Trump stated the U.S. and Venezuela are collaborating on modernizing infrastructure, expecting to sell 30-50 million barrels of seized oil with proceeds benefiting both nations. He is set to meet 17 oil executives to secure $100 billion in investments.
Vice President JD Vance emphasized U.S. control over Venezuela's 'purse strings' via oil sales restrictions, framing the seizures as both enforcement and economic rebuilding tools.
