WASHINGTON — The United States has taken control of a Venezuelan oil tanker in international waters, a move that could intensify already heightened tensions in Latin America and beyond.
President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that the vessel, named the Skipper, had been seized off the Venezuelan coast. “As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” he said. “Large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video on X showing armed personnel rappelling from a helicopter onto the ship, securing the deck with weapons drawn. She stated that the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the US 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.”
Bondi said the tanker had been sanctioned for several years for its alleged role in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. “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,” she wrote.
A senior US official confirmed the operation occurred in international waters without incident or casualties among either US personnel or the tanker crew. The vessel was carrying Venezuelan crude and had previously been linked to Iranian oil, prompting a federal judge to issue a warrant for its seizure.
The tanker was reportedly en route to Cuba, but the oil’s final destination was intended to be in Asia after being brokered through Cuban intermediaries. The official added that further seizures may follow in the coming weeks as the US continues to apply pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump provided few details about the seizure. Asked about the fate of the oil, he replied, “We keep it, I guess,” and declined to comment on ownership of the tanker. He also said he had not recently spoken with Maduro.
Venezuela condemned the move in a statement, calling it “an act of international piracy.” The government accused the US of targeting Venezuela’s natural resources rather than addressing migration, drug trafficking, democracy, or human rights. “It has always been about our natural wealth, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” the statement said.
Cuba, already facing widespread power outages due to its aging energy infrastructure, relies heavily on oil imports from countries like Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico. The Cuban government had no immediate comment on the seizure.
The tanker’s confiscation comes amid an ongoing US campaign of pressure against Venezuela, which has included deploying thousands of troops and a carrier strike group to the Caribbean, targeting suspected drug trafficking boats, and issuing repeated threats against Maduro. So far, US strikes have reportedly killed 87 people and destroyed 23 alleged drug vessels. Administration officials are reportedly preparing contingency plans in case Maduro is removed from power.
Maduro did not address the tanker’s seizure in a speech delivered Wednesday as the news circulated internationally.
This action highlights growing US-Venezuela tensions and underscores the potential for broader regional impacts, particularly for countries dependent on Venezuelan crude.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
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- Venus L Peñaflor
