US military forces seize fifth tanker in effort to control Venezuelan oil

<p>Pre-dawn assault on the Olina oil tanker was carried out by US marines and navy sailors in the Caribbean near Trinidad</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/09/trump-venezuela-oil-attacks-minnesota-portland-ice-supreme-court-tariffs-latest-news-updates">US politics live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>The US early on Friday boarded another oil tanker, the US military said, as part of efforts to target sanctions-busting vessels traveling to and from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/venezuela">Venezuela</a>.</p><p>US forces were seen in video footage that officials posted online landing on the ship’s deck as the vessel named Olina was seized in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/caribbean">Caribbean</a> near <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/jan/07/how-trinidad-and-tobago-helped-donald-trump-depose-nicolas-maduro">Trinidad</a>. It is the fifth interdiction of such ships in recent weeks, separately from the series of previous US operations since the start of the fall to strike <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/01/us-coast-guard-search-survivors-boat-strike-pacific-ocean">suspected drug boats</a> off the coast of Venezuela.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/09/us-venezuela-oil-tanker-seizure">Continue reading...</a>