In a pre-dawn mission on Friday (January 9), U.S. forces successfully seized the oil tanker Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Southern Command announced that Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford to apprehend the vessel without incident. The operation is part of a broader effort to curb illicit activities in the region.
The Olina, reportedly flying the flag of Timor-Leste, was previously tracked in the Venezuelan Exclusive Economic Zone, northeast of Curaçao. The vessel was linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “The world’s criminals are on notice,” emphasizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s role in enforcing international law and eliminating funding streams for illicit activities, including narco-terrorism.
This operation marks the fifth interception of oil tankers in recent weeks and follows the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration is using these actions to assert control over Venezuela’s oil industry, citing national security interests. This strategy aims to pressure the Venezuelan regime by controlling its energy resources.
The U.S. Southern Command reiterated that the mission is part of Operation Southern Spear, which is dedicated to ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere.
“The Department of War’s Operation Southern Spear is unwavering in its mission to defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere,” U.S. Southern Command wrote on X.
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