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NEW: U.S. Boards Tanker As Trump Ramps Up Control Over Venezuelan Oil Flows

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U.S. forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, seizing a vessel as part of an aggressive Trump administration campaign to crack down on sanctioned ships tied to Venezuelan oil, the U.S. military said.

The operation, carried out in the pre-dawn hours by Marines and sailors from the Navy as part of a sustained military buildup in the region, targeted the motor tanker Olina, marking the fifth tanker taken under President Trump’s pressure strategy.

U.S. Southern Command posted unclassified footage of a U.S. helicopter landing on the deck and personnel conducting a search. “There is no safe haven for criminals,” Southern Command declared as it announced the seizure.

The Olina’s capture follows a series of interdictions aimed at tightening control over Venezuelan oil flows after the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a dramatic U.S. operation. Previous seizures have included other tankers suspected of carrying embargoed petroleum.

A Southern Command spokesperson said Navy and Marine forces were supporting the Department of Homeland Security, which led the mission, but declined to confirm whether the ship was directly sanctioned or linked to Venezuela, referring questions to the Justice Department and DHS.

The U.S. Coast Guard also declined to comment, directing inquiries to the White House.

The latest seizure underscores the administration’s push to enforce sanctions and disrupt what officials have described as a “shadow fleet” of tankers moving Venezuelan oil under false flags or deceptive documentation.

This growing maritime effort comes amid broader geopolitical friction over Venezuela’s energy exports and the U.S. role in enforcing sanction regimes tied to Caracas.

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