This Friday, United States forces detained the tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea, in an operation between the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, according to Southern Command. The action involved Marines from the Southern Joint Task Force Lanza, who took off from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. US leadership asserted that this action sends a message that there is no place for criminals, in the context of the government’s efforts to combat illegal activities on the American continent. Authorities did not specify how many people were arrested and emphasised that the operation was carried out without opposition. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, indicated that the seizure of the tanker was conducted in collaboration with Venezuelan authorities after the vessel left the country without permission. This tanker is now returning to Venezuela. The oil will be sold through the GREAT Energy Deal. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, characterised the Olina as part of the ghost fleet, which consists of tankers suspected of carrying oil under embargo and attempting to evade US forces through changes of flag or routes. According to Noem, the vessel had left Venezuela before being stopped.
