US Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuela: What You Need to Know

Sat Dec 20 2025 12:21:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a bold move, the US military has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, escalating tensions in the region amid allegations of international piracy and oil smuggling.

The US recently conducted a seizure operation of a crude oil tanker believed to be involved in transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. This move is part of a broader pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro's government, which has led to accusations of international piracy from Venezuelan officials. The operation involved helicopters and a specialized Coast Guard team, and the tanker was identified as the Skipper, reportedly linked to illicit oil activities. The consequences of this seizure could have significant implications for US-Venezuela relations and global oil markets.

A US helicopter flies low over a hazy blue sea as it approaches a massive ship. It hovers as camouflaged soldiers holding rifles swing down ropes to the vessel's deck.

The video, released by the US government, shows the latest in a series of escalations in Washington's pressure campaign on Nicolás Maduro's government – the seizure of a crude oil tanker.

The US claims the tanker is used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has called the seizure international piracy and claims US President Donald Trump wants Venezuela's energy resources.

Here's what we know.

The operation

We have just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela - a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually, Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.

The footage of the operation was shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media. Bondi said a seizure warrant for the tanker was carried out by the US Coast Guard, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defence.

The exact location of the tanker at the time of the seizure is not clear, but a senior military official told CBS that the vessel had just left a port in Venezuela.

The 45-second video shows a US team walking the deck of the ship with their weapons drawn. No ship crew are visible.

The seizure involved two helicopters, 10 marines and 10 US Coast Guard members, supported by special operations forces, a source familiar with the operation told CBS.

This operation involved an elite group of the Coast Guard known as the Maritime Security and Response Team, specially trained in counterterrorism and law enforcement procedures.

The oil tanker

Maritime risk company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Skipper. They reported that the ship had been spoofing its position – broadcasting a false location – for a long time.

The ship, now known as the Skipper, is classified as a very large crude carrier (VLCC) and has a storied history of shifting identities.

Vanguard Tech said the vessel is reported to be part of the dark fleet and was sanctioned in 2022 for carrying Venezuelan oil.

It is believed to have left the oil port of Jose just before the seizure, with about 1.8 million barrels of crude oil on board.

The US treasury department had previously sanctioned the Skipper for its involvement in oil smuggling that financed groups like Hezbollah and Iran's IRGC-Quds Force.

The seized oil

When asked what the US would do with the oil, Trump casually remarked, We keep it, I guess... I assume we're going to keep the oil. The potential worth of the oil aboard could be over $95 million.

Maduro has accused the US of militarizing the Caribbean and attempting to seize Venezuela's oil. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves globally, but extraction challenges hinder the nation due to US sanctions and its aging infrastructure.