The United States has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday, in a move that immediately pushed global oil prices higher and intensified an already volatile confrontation between Washington and Caracas.
Speaking at the White House, Trump described the vessel as “a very large tanker, the largest one ever, actually,” while hinting at further actions to come. When asked what the U.S. planned to do with the seized crude, he replied, “We keep it, I guess.”
Venezuela’s government condemned the seizure as “blatant theft” and “an act of international piracy,” saying it would bring the matter before international bodies. The move marks the first known U.S. action against a tanker connected to Caracas since Trump ordered a major regional military buildup earlier this year and the first seizure of Venezuelan oil under sanctions imposed in 2019.
A dramatic operation at sea
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said federal agents, including the FBI, Homeland Security and the Coast Guard, executed a seizure warrant with military support. A video posted on X showed two helicopters approaching a massive crude carrier as armed personnel rappelled onto its deck.
Iran, whose oil shipments have long been linked to Venezuela’s energy sector, condemned the operation as a “grave violation of international laws and norms.”
Although U.S. officials did not publicly identify the vessel, maritime risk firm Vanguard reported that the tanker in question was the Skipper, a VLCC previously sanctioned for Iranian oil trading under its former name, Adisa. According to vessel tracking data, the Skipper had departed Venezuela’s main oil terminal of Jose after loading about 1.8 million barrels of Merey heavy crude. It then transferred roughly 200,000 barrels near Curaçao to another vessel headed for Cuba before being intercepted.
Venezuela’s PDVSA records show the Skipper previously carried Venezuelan oil to Asia between 2021 and 2022, while Guyana’s maritime authority said the ship was falsely flying its national flag.
Oil markets reacted swiftly: Brent crude settled at $62.21 a barrel, up 0.4%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate also gained 0.4% to close at $58.46.
Growing pressure and legal concerns
Washington’s move comes as the Trump administration steps up pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, who argues that the expanding U.S. military presence in the Caribbean aims to remove him from power and seize Venezuela’s oil resources.
Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out more than 20 strikes against boats allegedly used for drug trafficking, killing more than 80 people. Legal experts warn the operations may be unlawful, noting the lack of public evidence confirming the boats were carrying narcotics and questioning the necessity of deadly force over interdiction and arrest.
Concerns rose further this month after reports that a commander ordered a second strike to kill two survivors of an attack, in line with instructions attributed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday shows that nearly half of Americans oppose the boat strikes, including roughly one-fifth of Trump’s own Republican base.
Impact on Maduro and global oil flows
Despite intensifying sanctions pressure, Venezuela exported more than 900,000 barrels per day in November — one of its strongest monthly outputs this year, thanks to increased imports of naphtha used to dilute extra-heavy crude. But competition from heavily discounted Russian and Iranian oil has forced Caracas to sell its crude at steep markdowns, particularly to China, its primary customer.
Analysts say the seizure of the Skipper underscores immediate concerns over spot supply but will not dramatically change the underlying oil balance, as the barrels were likely to remain in limbo due to sanctions.
Chevron, the only U.S. company currently allowed to export Venezuelan crude, said its operations remain unaffected. The firm recently increased shipments to 150,000 barrels per day.
The tanker seizure aligns with Trump’s recently released national security strategy, which places renewed emphasis on U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. For now, the incident signals a widening confrontation, one that is increasingly playing out not only in diplomatic forums, but also on the open sea.