US Seizes 20-Year-Old Oil Tanker Near Venezuela, Citing Iranian Ties
The US has seized a 20-year-old oil tanker called The Skipper off the coast of Venezuela, three sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. The move comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The operation to seize the tanker began on Wednesday morning, after it had just left port in Venezuela, according to a senior military official and a source familiar with the operation. It involved special operations forces, two helicopters, 10 members of the US Coast Guard, and 10 Marines. The boarding team was composed of the Coast Guard's Maritime Security and Response Team, an elite maritime interdiction unit based in Chesapeake, Virginia.
The tanker is sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for its alleged role in an oil smuggling network that helped fund the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran. The ship is controlled by sanctioned Russian oil magnate Viktor Artemov and was initially registered as Adisa in 2022.
While this seizure is rare, U.S. officials say it's something the boarding team trains for. The operation was led by the Coast Guard, supported by Navy forces. The US government has seized sanctioned oil tankers before, but conducting a fast-rope boarding from helicopters at sea is unusual.
The ship, 333 meters in length and one of the largest tankers in the world when it was built in 2005, had been falsely flying the Guyanese flag despite not being registered in the South American country. The vessel has been involved in oil smuggling networks that span Iran and Venezuela, drawing criticism from the US.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video of the operation on X, saying the US executed a seizure warrant on the vessel, which was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. This move comes as the Trump administration has continued to push for tougher sanctions against Venezuelan President Maduro's government.
The US has seized a 20-year-old oil tanker called The Skipper off the coast of Venezuela, three sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. The move comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The operation to seize the tanker began on Wednesday morning, after it had just left port in Venezuela, according to a senior military official and a source familiar with the operation. It involved special operations forces, two helicopters, 10 members of the US Coast Guard, and 10 Marines. The boarding team was composed of the Coast Guard's Maritime Security and Response Team, an elite maritime interdiction unit based in Chesapeake, Virginia.
The tanker is sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for its alleged role in an oil smuggling network that helped fund the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran. The ship is controlled by sanctioned Russian oil magnate Viktor Artemov and was initially registered as Adisa in 2022.
While this seizure is rare, U.S. officials say it's something the boarding team trains for. The operation was led by the Coast Guard, supported by Navy forces. The US government has seized sanctioned oil tankers before, but conducting a fast-rope boarding from helicopters at sea is unusual.
The ship, 333 meters in length and one of the largest tankers in the world when it was built in 2005, had been falsely flying the Guyanese flag despite not being registered in the South American country. The vessel has been involved in oil smuggling networks that span Iran and Venezuela, drawing criticism from the US.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video of the operation on X, saying the US executed a seizure warrant on the vessel, which was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. This move comes as the Trump administration has continued to push for tougher sanctions against Venezuelan President Maduro's government.
. It's just trying to make a living, you know? 20 years old and still going strong. I mean, yeah, it's got some shady connections, but who doesn't? The US is always flexing its muscles like this. It's not like they're doing it for the oil or anything... 
The Iranians are already getting their backs up with all these sanctions. Can't we just let people live their lives without so much drama? 
off the coast of Venezuela... 20 years old! Can you believe it? I mean, think about all the adventures that ship must've had at its age 
. It's wild how they caught this thing with a special ops team and helicopters 
. And what's even crazier is that it was flying a fake Guyanese flag 
. The US has been cracking down on oil smuggling, and now they're taking aim at Russian oligarchs too 
. It's like the whole world is getting a little more transparent. Hope this tanker gets its "freedom" soon and can sail the seas without any trouble again 
this is just another example of how the world has become a playground for superpowers... like what's next? sending in special forces to 'liberate' fish from a market stall? 
This one's old news, though - 20 years old, I mean! What's the point of keeping an oil tanker in service that long? It's like, if you're gonna keep it, invest some money into upgrading it or something. But noooo, just leave it to rust away and be a liability for whoever owns it now... 
But seriously, what's the deal with all these seized tankers? Can't we just have some free market oil trading without the government interfering? 
. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in terms of international relations and potential repercussions for all parties involved 
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OMG u wont bliev wut just happnd!!!! So its true thats us got seized dat old oil tanker near venezuela 
so hopefully dis means more oil sanctions r comin thru!!! 
I'm still thinking about this news... what's going on with the US and Venezuela? Like, can't they just talk it out or something? 