US Seizes Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tanker Skipper in Regional Enforcement Action
The Skipper, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), was seized by US forces off the coast of Venezuela. The vessel had been sanctioned in 2022 under a different name, Adisa, and is linked to Iran's shadow fleet. It was reportedly carrying about 1.1 million barrels of oil loaded at Venezuela's main oil port last week.
The tanker was found to be flying a false flag, registered as Guyana, in an apparent attempt to evade sanctions. Public tracking data reveals that the Skipper (formerly Adisa) has made multiple trips between Venezuela and Iran in recent years. It is owned by Triton Navigation Corp, which was sanctioned by the US in 2022 for its involvement in transporting oil on behalf of Iran.
TankerTrackers estimates that since joining the shadow fleet in 2021, the Skipper has transported nearly 13 million barrels of Iranian and Venezuelan oil. Satellite imagery showed the vessel docked at Jose, Venezuela as recently as 18 November, and it departed last week carrying roughly half of its cargo to a Cuban state-run oil importer.
The US has sanctioned more than 170 vessels involved in illicit oil shipments as part of a broader campaign that includes a significant regional military presence, including the USS Gerald R Ford. Footage circulated showing Coast Guard personnel rappelling onto the deck of the Skipper during the seizure.
In response, Venezuela's government under President Nicolas Maduro condemned the seizure as theft and piracy. Analysts continue to debate the motives behind this enforcement action, viewing it as part of wider US pressure on the Maduro administration.
