US Military Seizes Another Tanker in Caribbean Sea ‘Without Incident’

The tanker, Olina, was suspected of being part of a ‘ghost fleet’ meant to evade U.S. sanctions.

A still from video released by the U.S. military showing its members boarding a tanker, the Olina, on Jan. 8, 2026. US Southern Command via The Epoch Times

U.S. military forces boarded an oil tanker in an early morning operation in the Caribbean Sea on Jan. 8, the third such action this week, the U.S. Southern Command announced in a statement.

In the action, Marines and Navy sailors apprehended the Motor/Tanker Olina vessel at sea “without incident,” Southern Command said in a Jan. 9 post on X. The post also included a video of a helicopter flying above the tanker as military personnel boarded the ship with guns drawn.

Adding that the operation was launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, Southern Command said that “apprehensions like this are backed by the full power of the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale.”

The mission was carried out with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Southern Command added that Operation Southern Spear, which was launched by the Department of War last year, “is unwavering in its mission to defend our homeland by ending illicit activity and restoring security in the Western Hemisphere.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the Olina as another “ghost fleet” tanker suspected of transporting oil in violation of a U.S. embargo. The ship, she added, left Venezuela and was “attempting to evade U.S. forces” before its capture.

“The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality,” Noem said.

“The Coast Guard will seize sanctioned oil tankers, enforce U.S. and international law, and eliminate these funding streams for illicit activity, including narco-terrorism.”

Vessel Finder, a ship-tracking website, said it was currently “unknown” whether the Olina, a crude oil tanker, was sailing under a national flag. However, it said the vessel had earlier sailed under the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe, a small island off the coast of Africa.

On Jan. 7, U.S. European Command announced the seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker, the Bella 1, in the North Atlantic that officials say was trying to evade a U.S. blockade targeting Venezuelan oil. That same day, the military also seized the tanker Sophia, because it was carrying out what Southern Command said were “illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea.”

Responding to the U.S. seizure of the Bella 1, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the ship had permission to sail under the Russian flag and strongly criticized the military action.

“In the open sea beyond the territorial waters of any state, U.S. naval forces boarded the vessel. Communication with the ship was subsequently lost,” the Russian ministry said in a social media statement.

A Kremlin spokeswoman issued another statement on Jan. 9, thanking the United States for agreeing to release two Russian crew members on board the Bella 1.

“In response to our appeal, U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens from the Mariner crew, previously detained by the U.S. during an operation in the North Atlantic,” the statement said.

“We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the U.S. leadership. We are beginning to urgently address all issues related to ensuring the speedy return of our compatriots to their homeland.”

President Donald Trump told Fox News on Jan. 8 that Moscow had sent a submarine and a destroyer to guard the Bella 1. However, both vessels “left very quickly” when U.S. forces arrived on the scene, he said.