US Military Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker in Escalation of Sanctions

A US helicopter flies low over a hazy blue sea as it approaches a massive ship. It hovers as camouflaged soldiers holding rifles swing down ropes to the vessel's deck.

The video, released by the US government, shows the latest in a series of escalations in Washington's pressure campaign on Nicolás Maduro's government – the seizure of a crude oil tanker.

The US claims the tanker is used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has called the seizure international piracy and claims US President Donald Trump wants Venezuela's energy resources.

On Wednesday, Trump told reporters at the White House, We have just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela - a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually. The footage of the operation was shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media, stating the operation was executed by the US Coast Guard alongside various defense agencies.

The 333-meter (1,092 ft) vessel, named the Skipper, is classified as a very large crude carrier. It was previously associated with carrying Venezuelan oil exports and suspected of using false positioning to elude detection. The ship had been under scrutiny after being sanctioned in 2022 for alleged ties to terrorist organizations.

At the time of the operation, it was carrying around 1.6 million barrels of oil, reportedly valued at over $95 million based on current oil prices. Trump has stated, We keep it, I guess... I assume we're going to keep the oil, referencing the seized shipment. This operation forms part of a broader US strategy against drug trafficking and illegal drug networks in the region, reflecting a significant international maritime enforcement effort.