U.S. Marines Launch From USS Gerald R. Ford to Seize 5th Tanker Olina in Caribbean Sanctions Crackdown.

U.S. Marines and Sailors launched a pre-dawn maritime interdiction from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford on January 9, 2026, seizing the motor tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea. The operation highlights Washington’s expanding effort to disrupt illegal fuel shipments linked to Venezuela and Russia that help finance hostile regimes.

U.S. Southern Command confirmed that U.S. Marines and Sailors assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Spear successfully seized control of the motor tanker Olina during a pre-dawn maritime interdiction on January 9, 2026, launching from the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford while operating in the Caribbean Sea. The boarding marked the fifth interdiction conducted under Operation Southern Spear, a growing U.S. military and interagency campaign aimed at curbing illicit energy trafficking that officials say is increasingly tied not only to Venezuelan networks but also to Russian-backed fuel flows moving through the Western Hemisphere.
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U.S. Marines from Joint Task Force Southern Spear fast-rope from a Black Hawk helicopter onto the deck of the motor tanker Olina during a pre-dawn interdiction in the Caribbean Sea on January 9, 2026. The operation marks the fifth successful seizure under Operation Southern Spear, targeting illicit oil shipments linked to Venezuela and Russia. (Picture source: U.S. Southern Command)

U.S. Defense officials confirm that the Olina, now in U.S. custody, was carrying a significant volume of petroleum product believed to have originated from a sanctioned Venezuelan refinery operating under a front company linked to transnational criminal networks. The interdiction was carried out by Special Forces fast-roping from Black Hawk helicopters in a coordinated joint strike that involved air and maritime surveillance, signals intelligence, and real-time targeting support. No resistance was reported, and the vessel was secured without incident.

This operation, while tactical in execution, reflects the growing strategic concern within the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence community about the use of illicit oil shipments as a financial lifeline for autocratic regimes facing international sanctions. Venezuela, under Nicolás Maduro’s leadership, has continued to operate a parallel export network of petroleum products, often routed through deceptive shipping practices, falsified documentation, and cooperation with non-state brokers. These shipments frequently violate U.S. Treasury Department sanctions and fund corrupt state apparatuses and regional proxy actors.

More recently, however, U.S. officials have confirmed a marked increase in energy smuggling from sources affiliated with Russia. Following Moscow’s circumvention of global oil price caps and its continued reliance on a shadow tanker fleet, some of these vessels have begun appearing in the Western Hemisphere. According to officials familiar with internal intelligence assessments, Russian-origin fuel is being blended with Venezuelan or third-country products and routed through shell companies in the Caribbean, often with altered bills of lading and obscured ownership structures.

The dual focus of Operation Southern Spear is now clear: interdict energy flows originating from sanctioned state actors, particularly Venezuela and Russia, and dismantle the maritime logistics networks that facilitate their distribution. These operations are not only designed to enforce sanctions but to disrupt the financial pipelines that fuel corruption, fund paramilitary groups, and support destabilizing influence in Latin America and beyond.

The recent interdiction of the Olina follows four earlier operations in 2024, including seizures of the Sanrelli, Elma Star, Navi Sun, and Meridian Crown, each suspected of carrying oil or petrochemicals from unauthorized sources. In several of these cases, investigators found evidence of blended cargoes, in which Russian or Venezuelan oil was mixed with fuel from third-party suppliers to obscure the origin and avoid detection.

In a closed-door congressional briefing in late 2024, U.S. Southern Command leaders warned lawmakers that the Caribbean has become a central transit corridor for black-market energy flows, with multiple nations used as transshipment hubs. The presence of Russian-linked shipping companies, operating under flags of convenience and using decoy transponders, has added a new layer of complexity to enforcement efforts.

Military officials cite the integration of the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group, which includes the USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale, as a force multiplier for these maritime interdiction operations. Coupled with persistent ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) coverage and diplomatic pressure on regional partners, the U.S. is building a sustained operational framework to intercept tankers before they reach port or transfer cargo to smaller vessels.

As Operation Southern Spear enters a more aggressive phase, U.S. forces are now tasked with enforcing maritime law in contested waters where legal ambiguity is often exploited. Defense analysts stress that beyond the fuel itself, these tankers carry strategic implications. Their cargos bankroll regimes that challenge U.S. influence, enable proxy conflict, and fuel economic instability throughout Latin America.

By targeting both Venezuelan and Russian energy smuggling, the United States is drawing a direct link between maritime security enforcement and the broader geopolitical contest unfolding across the Americas.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.