US Seizes Sanctioned Oil Tanker Off Coast of Venezuela, Trump Says
The United States has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, sending oil prices higher and sharply escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.
According to Trump, the seizure is part of a new effort by the US to go after Venezuela‘s main revenue source. “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” he said during a roundtable discussion with business leaders at the White House.
The seized vessel is believed to be the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Skipper, which was previously known as the Adisa. The US has imposed sanctions on the tanker for its involvement in Iranian oil trading. The Skipper left Venezuela‘s main oil port of Jose between December 4 and 5 after loading some 1.8 million barrels of Venezuela’s Merey heavy crude.
Vessel’s Activities Prior to Seizure
Prior to the seizure, the Skipper transferred about 200,000 barrels near Curacao to the Panama-flagged Neptune 6 bound for Cuba, according to satellite information analyzed by TankerTrackers.com and internal data from Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. The vessel had also transported Venezuelan oil to Asia between 2021 and 2022.
The Venezuelan government has condemned the seizure as “blatant theft” and described it as an “act of international piracy.” It plans to denounce the incident before international bodies.
International Reaction
Iran’s embassy in Caracas condemned the action as a “grave violation of international laws and norms” in a post on X. British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the seizure was believed to have occurred off Venezuela early on Wednesday.
The US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that the FBI, Homeland Security, and Coast Guard, along with support from the US military, carried out a seizure warrant for a crude tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. A 45-second video posted by Bondi showed two helicopters approaching a vessel and armed individuals in camouflage rappelling onto it.
Oil Prices React
Oil futures rose following news of the seizure. After trading in negative territory, Brent crude futures rose 27 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $62.21 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 21 cents, also 0.4%, to close at $58.46 per barrel.
The impact on global oil supply remains unclear, but the seizure has increased tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Original Article: US seizes sanctioned oil tanker off coast of Venezuela, Trump says | Reuters — Reuters