The United States has seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, in what President Donald Trump described as the largest vessel ever taken under US sanctions enforcement. The move marks a significant intensification of Washington’s pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the tanker, used to move sanctioned crude from Venezuela and Iran, had been under US restrictions for years due to its alleged role in illicit oil networks linked to foreign organisations placed under American sanctions. Officials released footage showing troops descending from helicopters to secure the vessel.
Venezuela condemned the action, calling it an act of “international piracy”. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accused the United States of attempting to seize Venezuelan resources and likened the operation to historic naval plundering. President Maduro, speaking earlier at a rally, insisted Venezuela would not become an “oil colony”.
The tanker, identified by maritime analysts as the Skipper, had reportedly been spoofing its location for extended periods. MarineTraffic data showed it falsely sailed under the Guyana flag, prompting a clarification from Guyanese authorities that the ship was not registered in the country. The Skipper was sanctioned in 2022 for alleged involvement in oil smuggling schemes benefiting Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
US forces said the operation involved the FBI, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard. Helicopters launched from the USS Gerald Ford, positioned in the Caribbean as Washington increases regional military presence. Since September, the US has conducted at least 22 strikes on boats it says were linked to narcotics trafficking, resulting in more than 80 deaths.
Analysts warned the seizure could heighten risks for vessels operating in the region and further disrupt Venezuela’s already strained oil exports. Brent crude prices rose slightly following reports of the operation.