On Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, U.S. officials reported to NBC News the United States has seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean in an effort to control the flow of oil to and from Venezuela.
Tanker, Olina was seized overnight in the Caribbean Sea by the Coast Guard and Joint Task Force Southern Spear. This comes days after the U.S. seized a Russian-flagged “shadow fleet” tanker that fled from the U.S. blockade and led the Coast Guard on a week-long chase.
On Wednesday, the Sophia was seized due to claims the tanker was conducting illegal activities in the Caribbean Sea.
Friday, the Kremlin thanked the White House as Trump agreed to release two Russian crew members who were onboard the Bella 1 tanker. The ship was seized in the North Atlantic in an operation that “defied warnings from Russia,” according the NBC News. It was suspected the ship was part of the “shadow fleet” which was suspected of “fueling Russia’s war-time economy in circumvention of international sanctions, changed its name to the Marinera and hoisted a Russian flag after escaping the U.S. blockade of Venezuela.”
Thursday, Trump told Fox News Moscow sent a submarine and a destroyer to guard the tanker. The President said both ships “left very quickly” when U.S. ships arrived. When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin called Trump after the seizure, he responded, “I don’t want to say that.”
By Jeanette Vietti
Source:
NBC News: U.S. seizes another tanker in the Caribbean
Featured Image Courtesy of Richard Martin’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
