Another “shadow fleet” ship detained. Hit to oil exports from Venezuela

The Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), one of the regional commands of the US armed forces, announced that US troops seized the Olina tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday. This is another unit seized as part of the operation against Venezuela.

The tanker had already been subjected to US sanctions for transporting Russian oil.

The ship was seized by Marines and Navy soldiers who landed on it from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, SOUTHCOM reported. It added that the operation was supported by a group of landing ships.

The Americans seized a tanker near Trinidad and Tobago, Reuters reported.

According to Marinetraffic, a maritime traffic tracking website, the Olina tanker flies the flag of East Timor.

The vessel was previously registered as Minerva M and was subject to US sanctions for transporting Russian oil and violating previously imposed restrictions.

Our forces are once again sending a clear message that “there is no safe haven for criminals,” stressed SOUTHCOM's post about the operation. As noted, the acquisition of another ship is intended to strengthen the mission whose goal is to “put an end to illegal activities and restore the security of the Western Hemisphere.”

This is the fifth tanker seized by American troops in recent weeks due to the blockade of crude oil exports from Venezuela, Reuters emphasized.

American forces seized two vessels on Wednesday, including a tanker temporarily registered in Russia.

In 2019, the US introduced sanctions virtually blocking oil trade from Venezuela. The export of the raw material began to be carried out by a network of tankers evading identification and American restrictions, known as the shadow fleet. Some of these units are also used to bypass similar sanctions imposed on Iran and Russia.

American troops attacked Venezuela on January 3 and kidnapped its leader, Nicolas Maduro. The US has long been putting pressure on the Venezuelan regime, accusing it of supporting drug smuggling and illegal migration. (PAP)

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