US authorities have unsealed a warrant for an oil tanker seized off the coast of Venezuela, a move Caracas has denounced as “international piracy.” The tanker, formerly known as the Adisa and now called the Skipper, was taken control of by US forces in a dramatic raid earlier this week. According to the US Treasury Department, the vessel was used to transport sanctioned oil as part of an “oil shipping network supporting Hezbollah” and a unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
The US Coast Guard carried out the seizure on Wednesday, following a warrant signed by a magistrate judge on November 25. The US Treasury Department has also imposed sanctions on relatives of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and six companies involved in shipping the country’s oil. The FBI has stated that it will continue to enforce US sanctions and cut off adversaries from financial markets and critical technology.
The seized tanker is expected to dock in Galveston, Texas, where the crew will be released upon arrival. The US intends to seize the oil on board, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that the country will not stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black-market oil. The proceeds of which, she claimed, will fuel “narco-terrorism” by rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world.
Venezuela’s foreign ministry has strongly condemned the seizure, calling it “blatant theft” and an act of “international piracy.” President Maduro has vowed to secure all ships to guarantee the free trade of Venezuelan oil around the world. The US has been increasing pressure on Venezuela in recent months, with a major naval buildup in the region and deadly strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.
The situation is part of a broader tensions between the US and Venezuela, with the US accusing Maduro of leading a “narco-terrorist” organization and offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. The US alleges that Maduro’s hold on power is illegitimate and that he stole Venezuela’s July 2024 election. Maduro, on the other hand, claims that the US is bent on regime change and wants to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves. The seizure of the oil tanker has significant implications for the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
