The United States is seizing the ship "Olina" in the Caribbean Sea, an unnamed US official told Reuters on Friday.
It will be the fifth such seizure in recent weeks as the US steps up its efforts to control Venezuela's oil exports.
According to the public shipping database Equasis, the "Olina" is flying the flag of East Timor. The ship sailed from Venezuela last week with a cargo of oil as part of a flotilla shortly after the US captured Nicolas Maduro, the now-ousted Venezuelan president, a shipping industry source told Reuters.
The US sanctioned the ship in January last year when it was named "Minerva M". The reason was that it was transporting Russian oil. The US government accused it of being part of the shadow fleet - a group of ships with inadequate insurance contracts that circumvent sanctions and avoid controls.
In the series of seizures, the US's seizure of the Russian-flagged ship "Marinera" earlier this week caused a stir. This happened after the US had followed the ship across the Atlantic.
The US accused the ship of carrying oil for Venezuela, Russia and Iran, among others, which was a violation of US sanctions.
Russia has accused the US of increasing tensions with the seizure. Two Russian nationals from the crew have been released by the United States since their seizure earlier this week.
In addition to the US cracking down on ships linked to the transport of Venezuelan oil, President Donald Trump has announced plans for major investments in the country's oil industry.
/ritzau/Reuters
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