The pre-dawn action was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors from the forces the U.S. has built up in the Caribbean in recent months, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the vessel called the Olina.
Southern Command posted unclassified footage on social media of a U.S. helicopter landing on the vessel and U.S. personnel conducting a search of the deck.
The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the distribution of Venezuela's oil products globally following the U.S. ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.
A Southern Command spokesperson told The Associated Press that the Navy and Marine Corps forces were supporting the Department of Homeland Security, which was in charge of the operation. They confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard took control of the vessel.
