The US has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, in a move that pushed oil prices higher and heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas.
“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, as his administration continues to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down.
Asked about the fate of the oil, Trump added: “We keep it, I guess.”
In a statement, the Venezuelan government accused the US of “blatant theft” and labelled the seizure “an act of international piracy”, adding that it would report the incident to international bodies.
Trump has repeatedly suggested the possibility of US military intervention in Venezuela. The seizure marks the first detention of a Venezuelan oil cargo since US sanctions were imposed in 2019 and is the administration’s first known action against a Venezuela-linked tanker since Trump ordered a major military buildup in the region.
The US has previously conducted several operations against suspected drug trafficking vessels, drawing concern from lawmakers and legal experts.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that the FBI, Homeland Security, the Coast Guard and the US military executed a seizure warrant for a crude tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. A 45 second video she shared showed helicopters approaching the vessel and armed personnel in camouflage rappelling onto it.
Iran’s embassy in Caracas condemned the seizure as a “grave violation of international laws and norms” in a post on X.
US officials did not disclose the vessel’s name or coordinates at the time of the operation.
British maritime risk consultancy Vanguard later identified the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Skipper as the vessel believed to have been seized early Wednesday. The tanker is under US sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian oil under its former name, Adisa.
The Skipper departed Venezuela’s main oil terminal at Jose between December 4 and 5 carrying approximately 1.8 million barrels of Merey heavy crude. It transferred around 200,000 barrels near Curacao to the Panama flagged Neptune 6, destined for Cuba, before its seizure, according to TankerTrackers.com satellite data and information from Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA.
Guyana’s maritime authority stated the Skipper was falsely flying the country’s flag. PDVSA data also showed the vessel had previously transported Venezuelan oil to Asia between 2021 and 2022.
Oil futures climbed following news of the operation. Brent crude rose 27 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to settle at $62.21 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate gained 21 cents, also 0.4 per cent, to close at $58.46 per barrel.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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