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U.S. troops boarded an additional oil vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, according to the U.S. military, as the Trump administration keeps focusing on restricted tankers moving to and from Venezuela.

The early morning operation was conducted by Marines and Navy personnel deployed from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is part of the large military presence the United States has established in the Caribbean over the past few months, as stated by US Southern Command.

The Southern Command stated, “There is no safe place for criminals,” while announcing the capture of the vessel named Olina.

The U.S. Coast Guard subsequently assumed command of the ship, according to authorities.

Both the Southern Command and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared non-classified videos on social media showing a U.S. helicopter landing on the ship, along with U.S. personnel searching the deck and discarding what looked like an explosive item in front of a door that led into the vessel.

In her social media update, Noem mentioned that the vessel was “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker believed to be transporting restricted oil” and it had left Venezuela “trying to avoid U.S. forces.”

This occurs as the Trump administration has been focusing on restricted tankers operating between Venezuela and other locations.

The Olina is the fifth oil tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of a larger initiative by Trump’s administration to regulate the global distribution of Venezuela’s petroleum products after the unexpected nighttime arrest of President Nicolás Maduro.

U.S. government documents indicate that the Olina was penalized for transporting Russian oil under its previous name, Minerva M, and was registered in Panama.

Although records indicate that the Olina is currently flying the flag of Timor-Leste, it is registered in the international shipping registry with a false flag, implying that the claimed registration is not legitimate.

In July, the ship’s ownership and management were transferred to a company based in Hong Kong.

As per ship tracking databases, the Olina sent its last location update in November while in the Caribbean, north of the Venezuelan coastline.

Since then, however, the vessel has been operating without lights, with its location beacon deactivated.

Although Noem and the military described the takeover as part of a drive to uphold the law, other officials within the Trump administration have made it clear that they view it as a method to raise funds to support U.S. objectives in Venezuela.

In a morning update on his social media platform, Trump stated that the United States and Venezuela are collaborating effectively, particularly concerning the reconstruction of their oil and gas systems in a more extensive, improved, and advanced manner.

The administration stated that it plans to sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of restricted Venezuelan oil, with the earnings intended for both the US and Venezuelan populations.

However, the president hopes that the current setup will persist indefinitely, as he is scheduled to meet on Friday with executives from 17 oil companies to talk about his plan to invest $100 billion in Venezuela to restore and enhance its oil production and distribution systems.

Vice President JD Vance mentioned to Fox News this week that the United States has the ability to influence Venezuela’s financial resources by determining where its oil is sold.

The Olina is capable of carrying a maximum of 890,000 barrels of oil.

Although it remains uncertain whether the tanker was loaded or empty, with the present market price at approximately $60 per barrel, a fully loaded shipment of oil from the tanker would be valued at roughly $53 million.

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