The US Coast Guard and Navy seize the Skipper, a tanker suspected of transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, amid rising tensions between the US and Venezuela.
The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations. The operation, led by the US Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, involved troops rappelling from helicopters onto the tanker’s deck.
President Donald Trump announced the seizure, describing the tanker as “large, very large” and stating it was taken for “a very good reason”. The vessel, identified as the Skipper, was sailing under the Guyanese flag but was suspected of transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” Trump said at the White House.
Illicit Oil Shipping Network
The US Department of Justice revealed that the tanker had been sanctioned for years due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. Attorney General Pam Bondi shared a video of the operation, showing troops entering the ship’s bridge with rifles raised.
Venezuela has condemned the seizure as “blatant theft” and an act of “international piracy”, warning it will defend its sovereignty and natural resources. “We will defend our territory and resources with absolute determination,” the country’s foreign ministry stated.
Tension Between The US And Venezuela
The seizure comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Venezuela, with Trump threatening military action and deploying significant military forces to the Caribbean region. The move is seen as part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Maduro has accused the US of seeking regime change and stealing Venezuela’s oil reserves. The Venezuelan government has vowed to defend its territory and resources, with the military swearing in thousands of new recruits.
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The US has been conducting a series of military operations in the region, including strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats. Trump has warned that land attacks are imminent, although details remain scarce.
The seizure has sparked concerns about the potential disruption of global oil supplies, with Brent crude prices rising in response. Analysts warn that the move could threaten shippers and further isolate Venezuela’s oil exports.
The US has indicated that it will keep the oil, citing sanctions and alleged ties to terrorist organizations. “We keep it, I guess… I assume we’re going to keep the oil,” Trump said.
The Venezuelan government issued a statement denouncing the seizure as a “grave international crime”. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called the US “murderers, thieves, pirates”.
Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Skipper and said it believed the ship had been “spoofing” its position – or broadcasting a false location – for a long time.
The US treasury department sanctioned the Skipper in 2022, CBS reported, for alleged involvement in oil smuggling that generated revenue for Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department said the Skipper was “falsely flying the Guyana Flag as it is not registered in Guyana”.
The seizure is likely to further inflame tensions between the US and Venezuela, with both countries refusing to back down.
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