US seizes Venezuelan oil tanker in major escalation against Maduro - What to know about ‘Skipper’

The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in a high-risk operation involving the US Coast Guard and Navy, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

President Donald Trump confirmed the seizure on Wednesday, as tensions between Washington and Caracas continue to rise amid US allegations of narcotics trafficking, sanctions evasion and support for foreign militant groups.

What did Donald Trump say about the Venezuela oil tanker seizure?

President Trump acknowledged the operation publicly but offered limited detail when questioned by reporters. Confirming the scale of the operation seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker, he said US forces had seized a “large tanker”.

When asked what would happen to the oil aboard the vessel, Trump replied: “Well, we keep it, I guess.”

The seizure represents the Trump administration’s most assertive maritime action yet against Venezuela since intensifying its regional military posture.

Which Venezuela oil tanker was seized? Where did it come from?

According to US officials, the seized Venezuela oil tanker was identified as the Skipper, which departed Venezuela around December 2 carrying approximately 2 million barrels of heavy crude oil.

Roughly half of the cargo reportedly belonged to a Cuban state-run oil importer, based on internal documents from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA). Those documents were shared anonymously because the official was not authorised to release them publicly.

The tanker was previously known as the M/T Adisa, ship tracking data shows.

Why was the Venezuela oil tanker targeted by US authorities?

While the Skipper was carrying Venezuelan oil, US officials told the New York Times that the seizure was linked primarily to the vessel’s past involvement in smuggling illicit Iranian oil, rather than direct ties to the Maduro government.

According to the report, the Venezuela oil tanker was “flying a flag of a South American country where it was not in fact registered”. A federal judge is said to have authorised a seizure warrant.

The Adisa was sanctioned by the US in 2022 over allegations that it formed part of a shadow tanker network involved in transporting crude oil for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.

At the time, the US Treasury said the network was operated by a Switzerland-based Ukrainian oil trader.

How was the seizure of the Venezuela oil tanker carried out?

The operation was led by the US Coast Guard with support from the Navy. Coast Guard personnel were flown to the tanker by helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, according to a US official who spoke anonymously.

The Associated Press reported that the Ford arrived in the region last month as part of a broader show of force in the Caribbean. A day before the seizure, US fighter jets reportedly flew over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest approach to Venezuelan airspace since the pressure campaign began.

What footage has been released of the operation?

US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted edited, unclassified footage showing the moment US forces boarded the tanker. The 45-second video, which contains no sound, shows personnel fast-roping from helicopters hovering close to the ship’s deck.

In a statement accompanying the footage, Bondi said the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the US Coast Guard, with support from the Department of Defense, “executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran”.

She added that the tanker had been sanctioned for “multiple years” due to its “involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations”.

Bondi also wrote that “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.”

How has Venezuela responded to the oil tanker seizure?

Venezuela’s government strongly condemned the action, describing it as unlawful under international law.

In an official statement, authorities said the seizure “constitutes a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.”

“Under these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed… It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” the statement added.

What role did the USS Gerald R. Ford play?

The USS Gerald R. Ford played a central logistical role in the operation, serving as the launch point for the helicopters transporting Coast Guard personnel.

The carrier is operating in the Caribbean as part of a growing naval presence aimed at reinforcing the administration’s pressure on Maduro. It joined other warships last month in what US officials have described as a deterrence and enforcement mission.

What has Nicolás Maduro said amid rising tensions?

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro did not directly address the tanker seizure during a speech to supporters in Caracas but struck a defiant tone.

Speaking at a ruling-party demonstration, Maduro said Venezuela was “prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary”.

He also claimed that only his government could ensure regional stability, telling supporters that only the ruling party could “guarantee peace, stability, and the harmonious development of Venezuela, South America, and the Caribbean.”

“And the only president who has the preparation, the history, and the unwavering support of the people and the armed forces … is named Nicolás Maduro,” he said.