US military has seized a supertanker carrying Venezuelan oil, marking the first instance of sanctioned oil cargo being detained from Venezuela since the Trump administration began imposing economic pressure on the nation.
President Donald Trump described the captured vessel as “the largest ever captured” and stated that the United States would retain the oil. The tanker, previously known as Adisa in 2022 under a Panamanian flag, has been sanctioned by the U.S. for transporting oil from countries including Iran and Venezuela.
Satellite imagery confirmed that the vessel, now identified as Skipper, was docked at Venezuela’s Jose Oil Terminal while its transponder indicated it was located near Guyana and Suriname in the Atlantic Ocean. The tanker appeared to be laden with approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil—a significant cargo historically linked to circumventing U.S. sanctions.
Venezuelan authorities condemned the seizure as “blatant theft” and an act of international piracy, emphasizing that Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves and oil exports remain critical to its economy. President Nicolas Maduro urged citizens to act like “warriors” and be ready to “break the teeth of the North American empire.”
The move has sparked concerns in the shipping industry, with over 30 vessels under U.S. sanctions operating in Venezuelan waters now at risk of additional seizures. Analysts note this action follows a pattern of escalating U.S. pressure on Venezuela since 2019, including recent threats against Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Juan Gonzalez, former chief adviser to President Joe Biden on Latin America, had previously advocated for deploying U.S. military assets near the Venezuelan coast and imposing an oil blockade to economically isolate Maduro’s government.
