In a decisive pre-dawn operation in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea, United States military and law enforcement forces successfully executed the boarding and seizure of the motor tanker Olina, marking a significant escalation in the Trump Administration’s campaign to enforce U.S. sanctions and disrupt illicit oil trafficking networks.

Early Friday morning, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, supported by Marines and sailors assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Spear, intercepted the Olina after its departure from Venezuela. Government officials have identified the vessel as part of what Washington terms the “ghost fleet” — a network of tankers that operate without transparent registration, false flags, or disabled tracking systems to carry embargoed petroleum products. According to senior Department of Homeland Security leadership, the suspect tanker had been attempting to evade U.S. forces when it was located and taken under control without incident.

The operation was executed under tightly coordinated interagency authority, involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Department of State, and Department of Justice. The mission reflects a unified federal effort to uphold both U.S. and international law, including the enforcement of sanctions designed to cut off revenue streams that fund criminal networks, narco-terrorism, and state actors that disregard legal norms. U.S. Southern Command described the seizure as the fifth such interdiction in recent weeks as part of Operation Southern Spear, a sustained campaign to end unlawful energy shipments and criminal smuggling across the Western Hemisphere.

Unclassified night vision footage released by Department of Homeland Security officials shows tactical teams fast-roping from helicopters onto the tanker’s deck, securing the crew, and conducting a methodical search and seizure. The Coast Guard then assumed full custody of the vessel, ensuring that cargo and crew were processed in accordance with U.S. judicial authority.

Department of Homeland Security leadership underscored the broader strategic message of the operation: "The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality." This assertion reflects the Administration’s commitment to enforcing maritime sanctions and to denying illicit actors the ability to profit from embargoed resources.

The Olina’s seizure comes amid a broader push by the Trump Administration to tighten control over Venezuelan crude exports and related supply chains. In social media posts following the operation, senior Administration officials emphasized that enforcing sanctions at sea is critical to dismantling the financial networks that sustain criminal and destabilizing activity. The success of the operation demonstrates not only U.S. maritime capability but also the persistent resolve of American forces to extend the rule of law beyond domestic borders.

As global attention remains focused on sanction enforcement and regional stability, the Olina operation stands as a clear statement: U.S. forces will act decisively to protect national interests, uphold international law, and disrupt the flow of illicit resources that fuel criminal enterprises.