U.S. Forces Take Control of Venezuelan Tanker
Last week, U.S. forces boarded and seized a Venezuelan oil tanker just hours before a federal warrant for its confiscation was set to expire, according to a recently released heavily redacted 27-page document.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui stated that the document should be made public since the operation to seize the vessel, known as Skipper, is now widely known.
The document indicates that the U.S. military took control of the tanker on December 10, the same day the warrant was due to expire. The warrant had been issued on November 26, allowing two weeks for the seizure.
The heavily redacted version of the warrant released late last Friday contains little additional information.
In an accompanying statement, officials from the Department of Justice noted that the crude oil tanker was part of a covert shipping network supporting Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both classified as foreign terrorist organizations by the State Department.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized in his statement that “the seizure of this vessel highlights our successful efforts to impose costs on the governments of Venezuela and Iran.” He added that enforcing sanctions requires a comprehensive government approach.
The U.S. has long identified this ship as a rogue vessel violating international sanctions against Iranian oil and allegedly transporting Iranian and Venezuelan oil to Cuba.
The White House announced last week plans to seize oil from this tanker amid ongoing military operations targeting suspected drug boats off Central and South America’s coasts.
The Trump administration claims these boats are involved in transporting illegal drugs from Venezuela to the U.S., although it has provided limited evidence publicly regarding these allegations.
The U.S. maintains significant military assets in this region, with increasing speculation that President Trump may soon authorize strikes against Venezuela.
The administration appears to believe that linking Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government with illicit oil shipping networks supporting terrorist organizations could offer more legal and political grounds for such military actions.
The seized vessel, Skipper, was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 when it operated under the name Adisa with Panamanian registration. At that time, it was owned by Triton Navigation based in the Marshall Islands.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Triton along with Viktor Sergiyovitch Artemov, a Swiss-based Ukrainian citizen accused of leading a network exporting Iranian oil used to fund Hezbollah and IRGC activities.
