US seizes another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean
By Sean Lyngaas, CNN
(CNN) — The US has seized another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said on Friday.
US troops, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, “launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea without incident,” the command said in a social media post.
“Apprehensions like this are backed by the full power” of the US Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, US Southern Command said, referring to a group of warships that conducts air, sea and land operations.
The crude oil tanker had been sanctioned by the United States, according to the Treasury Department, which listed it under a different name and Panama flag but used the same unique ship identifying number as the Olina. It was listed under Ukraine/Russia-related sanctions.
It was unclear what country the tanker was registered with, as the Olina tanker has been listed as sailing near Venezuela under a Timor-Leste flag but also under an “unknown flag.”
The news comes after the US seized two Venezuela-linked tankers this week, including a Russian-flagged vessel in the Atlantic Ocean and another tanker in the Caribbean.
It is also at least the fifth oil tanker that the United States has seized since President Donald Trump announced in December a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving from Venezuela.
Trump posted on social media Friday that the tanker “departed Venezuela without our approval” and was seized in coordination with the interim government. He added that the ship is now being sent back to Venezuela and the “the oil will be sold through the GREAT Energy Deal.”
The White House said earlier this week that Trump was “not afraid” to continue seizing sanctioned oil tankers despite concerns that it could ratchet up tensions with Russia and China.
“He’s going to enforce our policy that’s best for the United States of America,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday. “That means enforcing the embargo against all dark fleet vessels that are illegally transporting oil.”
Scott Dickerson, a maritime security consultant, said the ongoing US seizures of oil tankers could bring the risk of retaliatory measures from Russia, Iran or other actors.
“These tanker seizures certainly raise multiple risk implications, especially for industry in regards to potential retaliatory actions and proxy warfare situations where industry assets become a pawn in someone else’s game,” Dickerson told CNN. “It remains an imperative for every major company to consider risks across physical, cyber, legal and geopolitical scenarios.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Lauren Chadwick and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
