The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted and seized another sanctioned oil tanker early Friday morning, as American forces continue to crack down on illegal oil shipments defying President Trump’s blockade on Venezuela.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the Motor Tanker Olina was boarded without incident while navigating international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. The ship was part of what U.S. officials call the “ghost fleet,” a network of vessels attempting to move sanctioned oil using deceptive flags and altered identification.
“This vessel had departed Venezuela attempting to evade U.S. forces,” Noem said. “The world’s criminals are on notice. The ghost fleets will not outrun justice.”
The operation was a joint effort involving the Coast Guard, the War Department, and the State Department. Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear took part in the seizure, deploying from the USS Gerald R. Ford to secure the tanker. The ship, previously identified as the Minerva M, was sanctioned for its prior role in transporting Russian oil.
This marks the third seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker this week alone. Earlier in the week, American forces intercepted two other ships—one flying a Russian flag and another previously sanctioned for transporting oil to Iran. The ship with the Russian flag, the Marinera, had attempted to outrun the blockade for nearly two weeks and was expected to rendezvous with a Russian submarine and warships before being stopped.
Southern Command confirmed that Operation Southern Spear is ramping up pressure on all illegal maritime activity in the Western Hemisphere. U.S. officials say the seizures are meant to cut off financial lifelines used by hostile actors for narco-terrorism and illicit energy trading.
“These criminal networks will not be allowed to exploit maritime trade to fund terror, circumvent sanctions, or weaken American leverage,” Noem said.
Officials reaffirmed that any vessel attempting to smuggle oil out of Venezuela under false identities or with ties to sanctioned regimes will be boarded and taken into U.S. custody. The Trump administration has made clear that enforcement will continue aggressively to protect both American interests and regional stability.
The Motor Tanker Olina is now en route to a secure U.S. naval facility, where it will undergo further inspection.
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