Ghost fleet tanker apprehended

U.S. Marines Seize Sanctioned Oil Tanker In Pre-Dawn Caribbean Raid

U.S. Marines and Sailors conducted a pre-dawn raid on Friday to seize a sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Southern Command confirmed that the vessel, the Motor Tanker Olina, was apprehended without incident.

The high-stakes operation was launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford. It involved a massive show of force from the Navy’s Amphibious Ready Group.

Joint Task Force Southern Spear coordinated with the Department of Homeland Security for the seizure. This marks the fifth such apprehension of a "ghost fleet" tanker in recent weeks.

The Olina had reportedly turned off its location tracker 52 days ago near Venezuela. It was flying the flag of Timor-Leste to evade detection by American authorities.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a stern warning following the successful mission. “The world's criminals are on notice,” Noem wrote on X.

This latest action reinforces the "Don-roe Doctrine" of reasserting American dominance in the region. The White House maintains there is "no safe haven" for those violating international law.

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