The Olina was seized in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea by the U.S. Coast Guard in coordination with the Defense Department, State Department and Justice Department, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in a post on the social platform X.
Noem added that the "ghost fleet" ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil had "departed Venezuela attempting to evade U.S. forces."
U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) also confirmed the seizure in a post online, saying the predawn operation involved Marines and sailors launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier that apprehended the Olina without incident.
"Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: 'there is no safe haven for criminals,'" Southcom added.
Public maritime database companies have identified the Olina as falsely registered and flying the flag of Timor-Leste.
The ship was last tracked near Venezuela 52 days ago, British maritime risk management company Vanguard said.
The seizure follows the taking of two other vessels in the region Wednesday, the Sophia and the Bella-1, the latter of which was a Russian-flagged tanker the U.S. had chased for weeks.
Washington has now taken a total of five tankers as part of its stepped-up efforts to curb Venezuela oil exports.
The Olina has been under U.S.-imposed sanctions since January of last year, when it was named the Minerva M, for what Washington claimed was being part of the shadow fleet — ships that sail with little regulation or known insurance and help fuel Russia's economy, according to Reuters.
The Olina's seizure could further inflame tensions between the U.S. and the Kremlin, which has accused Washington of a "disproportionate" focus on the Bella-1, previously named the Marinera, after it was initially chased by the Coast Guard off the coast of Venezuela last month.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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