U.S. forces boarded another oil tanker on Thursday in a pre-dawn action for “operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” the U.S. Southern Command announced.

The crude oil tanker was boarded by US marines and sailors from the Joint Task Force Southern Spear, officials said in a post on social media.

Forces launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) apprehended the motor/tanker “without incident,” reads the statement, adding that “the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”

It included a black-and-white aerial footage appearing to show service members descending on to the tanker’s deck from a helicopter.

The seizures began as part of Trump’s campaign to force Venezuelan Nicolas Maduro out of power, which culminated in U.S. forces swooping into the country to grab him and his wife earlier this month.

Since then, Trump has said the United States plans to control Venezuela’s oil resources as it seeks to rebuild the country’s dilapidated oil industry.

On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on social media that the vessel had previously navigated through Venezuelan waters.

Noem, in her social media post, said that the raid was carried out with “close coordination with our colleagues” in the departments of war, state, and justice.

“Our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law,” Noem added.

Noem also posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

Through #OpSouthernSpear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG through @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.

In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear,… pic.twitter.com/brxO9xXUu3

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 15, 2026