The United States military has seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean, as it continues to target vessels sanctioned by Washington in its pressure campaign against Venezuela.
In a statement on Friday, the US military Southern Command said its forces had “apprehended” the Olina tanker “without incident”.
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“Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: ‘there is no safe haven for criminals,'” it said.
It did not say why the tanker was targeted or offer further details on alleged violations.
US government records show that the Olina was sanctioned for moving Russian oil under its prior name, Minerva M, according to the Associated Press news agency.
International shipping registries said the tanker is currently flying a “false flag”, the agency reported.
Shortly after the seizure, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted unclassified footage on social media of a US helicopter landing on the vessel and forces using what appeared to be an explosive device on door on the ship.
Noem described the vessel as “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil”. She added it had departed Venezuela “attempting to evade US forces”.
The operation comes two days after US forces seized two oil tankers, including the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker, originally known as the Bella-1.
The US Department of Justice has since said it was investigating the crew of the ship, which was seized in the northern Atlantic, for failing to comply with coastguard orders and would pursue charges.
Russia has decried the seizure as a “gross violation” of international maritime law and called on the US to release the crew.
Since US military forces abducted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Saturday – a move roundly condemned as a flagrant violation of international law – Washington has pledged to maintain its blockade on sanctioned oil tankers. It has also called on Venezuela to staunch its ties with Russia and China.
US President Donald Trump has said the operation against Maduro, as well as the continued sanctions and military pressure, was aimed at opening the country’s vast oil reserves to US companies.
The abduction has been roundly condemned as a flagrant violation of international law, with UN experts saying earlier this week that Trump administration’s plan to indefinitely control Venezuela’s oil industry represents a violation of its citizens’ right to self-determination
Trump was set to meet with oil and gas executives at the White House later on Friday.
Fifth tanker seized
The US had seized another tanker in the Caribbean earlier this week, the M Sophia, which the military described as a “stateless” vessel. Panama later said the ship’s flag had been cancelled by the country last year.
US forces had also seized the Skipper tanker and the Centuries vessel in December.
That month, four United Nations experts said the US had no “right to enforce unilateral sanctions through an armed blockade” on Venezuela. The group said the blockade constituted an “illegal armed aggression” under international law.
Reporting from Bogata, Colombia, Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo said the future of the US blockade remained unclear amid some signs of progress between Venezeula’s government and Trump.
She said Caracas has increasingly relied on a so-called “shadow fleet” in the face of US sanctions.
“Around 40 percent of tankers from Venezuela have been sanctioned, and they rely on this shadow fleet to export some of its oil, mostly it goes to China,” Bo said.
Early on Friday, Trump said on Truth Social that the US and Venezuela were “working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure”.
“Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks,” he said, adding that US military ships would remain deployed to the region.
Venezuela’s government, meanwhile, said a US State Department delegation was visiting Caracas on Friday to begin the “exploratory process” on resuming diplomatic ties.