Washington has detained a fifth ship loaded with oil from Venezuela

The US armed forces have detained the tanker Olina in the Caribbean. This is the fifth vessel seized in recent weeks as part of tougher sanctions against Venezuelan oil exports, according to US officials.

The Olina, which was sailing under the false flag of East Timor, was fully loaded with oil from Venezuela. The US Southern Command deployed units from the Southern Spear Joint Task Force, which disembarked from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and seized the ship without incident.

"There is no safe haven for criminals," US authorities said after the operation. According to sailors, the Olina left Venezuela shortly after the United States detained President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 and was returning to the region with a full cargo.

The ship's AIS system was last active 52 days ago. The US sanctioned the ship in January 2025 under the name Minerva M as part of the so-called shadow fleet.

The seizure of Olina is part of an operation in which the US has already detained the ships M Sophia, Skylyn, Min Hang, and Merope. Seven other tankers are expected to return to Venezuela in the coming days.

(reuters, max)