US forces seize another oil tanker in Caribbean, say ‘no safe haven for criminals’

WASHINGTON: The US Southern Command on Friday (local time) announced the seizure of another oil tanker, named Olina, in the Caribbean Sea in a pre-dawn operation, making it the fifth seizure of a tanker by US forces.

According to a post by the US Southern Command, the seizure underscored Washington’s continued crackdown on illicit activities in the Western Hemisphere. “Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: ‘there is no safe haven for criminals’,” the command said in a post on X.

The operation was conducted by US Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force-Southern Spear, in coordination with the US Department of Homeland Security, and launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

This morning, a @USCG tactical team, supported by @USMC and @USNavy , boarded and seized Motor Tanker (M/T) Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean. Interagency coordination, and an unstoppable joint force, were instrumental in executing a safe, carefully orchestrated… pic.twitter.com/PdiF41LQQR

— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) January 9, 2026

The Southern Command added that such operations are supported by the full power of the US Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale. The vessel’s apprehension was conducted without incident, it further noted.

“Apprehensions like this are backed by the full power of the US Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale,” the command said. “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”, it added.

This marks another effort by the US military to target vessels suspected of involvement in criminal and illicit operations in the Caribbean region. Just two days back, US forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, Marinera — formerly the Bella 1 — following weeks of pursuit by the US Coast Guard warship, after it allegedly evaded a US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for over a fortnight.

According to a post on X by the US European Command, the tanker violated US sanctions and was tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro before the operation. The command noted that the vessel was seized under a warrant issued by a US federal court. Originally named Bella 1, the tanker was sanctioned in 2024 and renamed Marinera. (ANI)