U.S. authorities have seized a large oil tanker near Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced at the White House.
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela—a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually,” Trump said, without revealing its ownership or destination but adding it was “seized for a very good reason.”
The vessel, identified as the Skipper by energy firm Kpler, is a Guyana-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier loaded with about 1.1 million barrels of oil in mid-November. It was reportedly headed for Cuba but has remained offshore Venezuela since.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the seizure was conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Coast Guard, with Pentagon support. She shared drone footage of soldiers boarding the tanker and explained the vessel had been sanctioned for years “due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organisations.” Bondi added, “The seizure was conducted safely and securely.”
Trump has intensified pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying Maduro’s “days are numbered” in a recent interview but did not rule out a ground invasion. The U.S. has increased military activity in the Caribbean and targeted vessels suspected of drug trafficking.
Venezuela, an OPEC founder with the world’s largest proven oil reserves, exports around 749,000 barrels daily, with half going to China and about 132,000 barrels to the U.S., according to Kpler. Matt Smith from Kpler noted, “Shippers will likely be much more cautious and hesitant about loading Venezuelan crude going forward.”
Following the news, U.S. crude rose 1.2% to $58.95 a barrel, and Brent crude climbed 1.15% to $62.65.