The pre-dawn action was carried out by US Marines and Navy, taking part in the monthslong buildup of forces in the Caribbean, according to US Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of Olina.

Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: “there is no safe haven for criminals.”

In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R.… pic.twitter.com/StHo4ufcdx

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 9, 2026

Flying a false flag

The Olina, which was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste, had previously sailed from Venezuela and had ​returned to the region.
“The vessel’s AIS (location) tracker ​was last active 52 days ago in the Venezuelan EEZ, northeast of Curacao,” British maritime risk management company Vanguard said separately.

BREAKING:

The U.S. has launched an operation to detain the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea.

The Olina, which, according to public shipping database Equasis, was falsely flying the flag of Timor-Leste, had previously sailed from Venezuela and had returned to the region. pic.twitter.com/QJ9TfrS03x

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 9, 2026

“The seizure follows a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in ‌the region.”

Olina left Venezuela last week

The Olina left Venezuela last week fully loaded with oil as part of a ‌flotilla shortly after the US seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January ‌3, and the vessel was returning fully loaded to Venezuela following the US ‌blockade of Venezuelan oil ‍exports.