Video: US grabs fifth oil tanker in Venezuela squeeze, vows no letup after Maduro arrest
Abdullateef Fowewe
The United States military has escalated its crackdown on Venezuela’s sanctioned oil fleet Friday, seizing a fifth tanker in the Caribbean amid a relentless pressure campaign following the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. Southern Command announced the “apprehension without incident” of the Olina tanker, delivering a stark warning to violators.
“Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: ‘there is no safe haven for criminals,’” the command stated.
The Olina, previously known as the Minerva M, drew U.S. sanctions for transporting Russian oil, according to government records cited by the Associated Press.
International registries revealed the vessel was flying a “false flag,” amplifying suspicions of illicit operations.
This latest takedown follows a flurry of seizures—just two days prior, U.S. forces nabbed two more tankers, including the Russian-flagged Marinera (formerly Bella-1) in the northern Atlantic.
The Justice Department is probing the Marinera’s crew for defying Coast Guard orders, with charges pending.
Russia slammed the move as a “gross violation” of international maritime law, demanding the crew’s release.
The operations cap a turbulent week sparked by U.S. forces’ Saturday abduction of Maduro – a raid decried worldwide as a “flagrant violation of international law.”
Washington has vowed to sustain its tanker blockade, urging Venezuela to sever ties with Russia and China.
President Donald Trump defended the strategy, stating it aims to “open the country’s vast oil reserves to US companies.”
He was slated to huddle with oil and gas executives at the White House later Friday.
Earlier grabs included the “stateless” M Sophia this week (its Panama flag revoked last year), plus December’s Skipper and Centuries tankers.
