{"id":2531937,"date":"2026-01-09T10:12:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-seizes-oil-tanker-sanctioned-for-transporting-russian-oil\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T10:14:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:14:55","slug":"us-seizes-oil-tanker-sanctioned-for-transporting-russian-oil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-seizes-oil-tanker-sanctioned-for-transporting-russian-oil\/","title":{"rendered":"US seizes oil tanker sanctioned for transporting Russian oil"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fus-seizes-oil-tanker-sanctioned-for-transporting-russian-oil%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2531937&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>U.S. authorities have seized the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean near Trinidad and Tobago, the fifth vessel taken in recent days as part of Joint task Force Southern Spear.The Olina, formerly Minerva M, was added last year to the Treasury Department&#8217;s sanctions list for transporting embargoed Russian oil and was reportedly sailing under a false or misleading flag while trying to evade a U.S. blockade around Venezuela. The U.S. Coast Guard led the boarding and seizure in coordination with the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State, and Justice. Recent related seizures include the Russian-registered Bella 1 &#8211; interdicted with British military assistance despite a Russian naval escort &#8211; and the Sophia; the Justice Department is dedicating more resources to thes operations. Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem warned that the &#8220;ghost fleets&#8221; of sanctioned tankers will not escape enforcement, praising the Coast Guard&#8217;s actions, while President Trump noted hostile vessels withdrew when U.S. forces intervened.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">US seizes oil tanker sanctioned for transporting Russian oil<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2465977\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The United States has seized another sanctioned tanker in an effort to control the flow of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/oil\/\">oil<\/a> in and out of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/venezuela\/\">Venezuela<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/coast-guard\/\">U.S. Coast Guard<\/a> boarded the Olina tanker, the fifth vessel to be seized in recent days. The operation, part of Joint Task Force Southern Spear, was conducted early Friday in the Caribbean Sea, near Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4408994\/broad-economic-implications-maduro-ouster-venezuela\/\">Economic implications of Maduro ouster in Venezuela are broad and deep<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4410211\/maduro-operation-shows-trump-didnt-plan-wholesale-venezuela-regime-change\/\">Maduro operation shows Trump administration wasn&#8217;t planning wholesale regime change<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4412388\/trump-meeting-iran-crown-prince-protests-not-appropriate\/\">Trump says meeting with Iranian crown prince calling for protests would not be &#8216;appropriate&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Secretary of Homeland Security <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kristi-noem\/\">Kristi Noem<\/a> said the boarding and seizing operation went smoothly and was done in &ldquo;close coordination&rdquo; with the Departments of War, State, and Justice.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The world&rsquo;s criminals are on notice.<\/p>\n<p>Early this morning, the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@USCG<\/a> executed a boarding and seizure of the Motor Tanker Olina in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. As another &#8220;ghost fleet&#8221; tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed&hellip; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vvS3u3nrvl\">pic.twitter.com\/vvS3u3nrvl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sec_Noem\/status\/2009628070047604976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 9, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In a similar statement on social media, U.S. Southern Command <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Southcom\/status\/2009626517660107010\">confirmed<\/a> the Department of Homeland Security&rsquo;s involvement in the operation.<\/p>\n<p>The Olina, previously known as the Minerva M, was put on the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/ofac.treasury.gov\/recent-actions\/20250110\">Treasury Department&rsquo;s sanctions list<\/a> last year for transporting embargoed Russian oil.<\/p>\n<p>The ship, sailing under an East Timor flag, had attempted to evade the U.S. blockade surrounding Venezuela. It last transmitted its position in November, showing it sailing near the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dictator-outreach-biden-to-ease-venezuela-sanctions-to-boost-oil-imports\/\" title=\"Dictator Outreach: Biden to Ease ... Sanctions to Boost ... Imports\">oil-rich country<\/a>. MarineTraffic, a global ship-tracking service, says it was sailing under a false flag.<\/p>\n<p>Among the oil tankers seized by the U.S. this week was the Bella 1, which was registered under a Russian flag and had a Russian naval escort. The U.S. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4409747\/uk-armed-forces-assisted-us-seizure-russian-registered-oil-tanker\/\">coordinated with the British military<\/a> on that mission.<\/p>\n<p>Trump addressed the interdiction of that particular vessel on Thursday, saying it was left unprotected by a Russian submarine and destroyer that &ldquo;left very quickly&rdquo; when the U.S. military arrived.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They decided not to mess around with us,&rdquo; he told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. recently seized another oil tanker, named the Sophia, in the Caribbean. U.S. Southern Command said it was &ldquo;conducting illicit activities&rdquo; in the region.<\/p>\n<p>The recent seizures represent a dramatic escalation of U.S. efforts to crack down on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-trump-orders-largest-armada-ever-assembled-in-the-history-of-south-america-to-blockade-venezuela\/\" title=\"Breaking: Trump Orders \u2018Largest Armada Ever Assembled in the History of South America\u2019 to Blockade ...\">sanctioned oil tankers<\/a> operated by Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. These ships are collectively known as the &ldquo;shadow fleet&rdquo; in international circles.<\/p>\n<p>There is no sign of the U.S. slowing down in the tanker-interdiction operations now that the DOJ is dedicating more of its resources to the seizures. The Coast Guard served a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/data-purchasing-by-federal-law-enforcement-other-govt-agencies\/\" title=\"Data purchasing by federal law enforcement, other govt. agencies\">court-issued warrant<\/a> while boarding the Bella 1 this week.<\/p>\n<p>In a warning to criminals operating the illicit fleets, Noem vowed the U.S. will continue cracking down on sanctioned oil tankers.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4409365\/us-seizes-sanctioned-oil-tanker\/\">US SEIZES SANCTIONED OIL TANKER AFTER TWO-WEEK PURSUIT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The Coast Guard will seize sanctioned oil tankers, enforce U.S. and international law, and eliminate these funding streams for <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >illicit activity including narco-terrorism<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are deeply proud of the Coast Guard&rsquo;s maritime fighting force for their relentless execution of this mission,&rdquo; Noem added. &ldquo;This is owning the sea.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US seizes tanker tied to sanctioned Russian oil<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2531938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26008707214369.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[39713,64055,70479,70480,70297],"class_list":["post-2531937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-oil-tanker","tag-russian-oil","tag-sanctioned-vessel","tag-sanctions-enforcement","tag-us-seizure"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26008707214369.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2531937"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2531941,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2531937\/revisions\/2531941"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2531938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2531937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2531937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2531937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}