U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker
The U.S. government has seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, as announced by President Donald Trump.
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela. Large tanker, very large. Largest one ever seized actually. And, other things are happening. So you’ll be seeing that later. And you’ll be talking about that later with some other people,” Trump stated during a White House appearance on Wednesday. “It was seized for a very good reason.”
When pressed on the fate of the oil aboard the ship, Trump replied, “Well we keep it, I guess. I assume we’re going to keep the oil.”
The operation, led by the Coast Guard with Navy support, was confirmed by a U.S. official who spoke to the Associated Press.
Attorney General Pam Bondi shared a video of the seizure on social media, detailing the operation.
“Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran,” she said.
“For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” Bondi continued. “This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.”
The tanker, known as “The Skipper,” was off the coast of Venezuela and had just departed from port when the operation commenced around 6 a.m. on Wednesday. The team involved included two helicopters, ten Coast Guard members, ten Marines, and special operations forces.
The helicopters were launched from the USS Gerald Ford, an advanced U.S. aircraft carrier that was deployed to the Caribbean Sea last month.
The boarding team was part of the Coast Guard’s Maritime Security and Response Team, an elite interdiction unit based in Chesapeake, Virginia, according to CBS News.
This 20-year-old vessel had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022 over its alleged connections to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah. It was formerly named The Toyo in 2005, based on maritime data.
The Venezuelan government has condemned the seizure, calling it a blatant act of international piracy.
“In these circumstances, the real reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been exposed. It’s not migration. It’s not drug trafficking. It’s not democracy. It’s not human rights. It was always about our natural wealth, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” the government stated in a release.
Since September, the Trump administration has been conducting military operations targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels from Venezuela, reportedly damaging at least 22 vessels and resulting in over 80 casualties. Trump has also hinted at potential ground operations in Venezuela as U.S. military forces are positioned around the country.
He has long criticized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom he views as an illegitimate leader.
“His days are numbered,” Trump remarked about Maduro in a recent interview, though he did not elaborate on his plans for regime change.
