Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and took control of the Olina near Trinidad and Tobago without incident in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
- The Olina, previously named Minerva M and already under U.S. sanctions, was identified by shipping databases as falsely flying a Timor‑Leste flag after departing Venezuela with crude, consistent with tactics used by the so‑called shadow fleet.
- Friday’s action follows this week’s seizures of the Russian‑flagged Bella 1, which had rebranded as Marinera after fleeing the Venezuela blockade, and the Sophia in the Caribbean, with U.S. officials noting British support in the North Atlantic chase.
- U.S. officials say the blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil applies anywhere in the world, and industry tracking indicates multiple tankers from a recent flotilla have turned back toward Venezuelan waters.
- Russia has protested the Marinera seizure as unlawful under the Law of the Sea, while the Kremlin thanked Washington for agreeing to release two Russian crew members after the North Atlantic operation.