U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Coast Guard boarded and seized the Motor Tanker Olina early Friday, marking the fifth such operation targeting vessels linked to Venezuelan oil exports.

According to Noem, the tanker was intercepted in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea after departing Venezuela in an apparent attempt to evade U.S. sanctions enforcement.

“As another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker suspected of carrying embargoed oil, this vessel had departed Venezuela attempting to evade U.S. forces,” Noem said in a statement on social media. “The ghost fleets will not outrun justice. They will not hide under false claims of nationality.”

Interagency Operation in International Waters

The boarding operation was conducted with support from multiple U.S. agencies, including the Department of Defense, the State Department and the Department of Justice. Noem said the coordination ensured the seizure was carried out safely and in accordance with international and U.S. law.

Separately, U.S. Southern Command confirmed that the operation was launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and that the tanker was apprehended without resistance.

“There is no safe haven for criminals,” Southern Command said in a statement.

Sanctions Enforcement Intensifies

The latest seizure comes amid a broader expansion of U.S. military and law enforcement activity in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific since September, with Washington citing efforts to counter narcotics trafficking and sanctions evasion.

The Trump administration has increasingly linked maritime enforcement operations to its Venezuela policy, targeting oil shipments that bypass U.S. restrictions.

Earlier this month, the U.S. conducted a high-profile military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. President Donald Trump later said Washington would oversee Venezuela’s oil assets during a transitional period.

U.S. Signals Continued Maritime Presence

Trump has said a previously anticipated second wave of military action against Venezuela was canceled following cooperation from the South American country, but warned that U.S. forces would remain deployed in the region.

“All ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes,” Trump said, signaling that maritime enforcement operations are set to continue as Washington presses its campaign against sanctioned oil exports.