Based on an incident alert shared with Vanguard Tech and passed to XINDE MARINE NEWS, US forces have boarded and seized the VLCC SKIPPER (IMO 9304667) off the coast of Venezuela, in what President Trump has called “the largest tanker ever seized”.
SKIPPER is a 2005-built crude tanker of about 310,000 dwt, designated by OFAC in 2022 for allegedly transporting oil on behalf of Iran’s IRGC and Hezbollah. According to Vanguard’s maritime security intelligence, the vessel has been operating under a falsified Guyana flag (“Guyana False”), with AIS gaps, STS activity and other patterns typical of the so-called dark fleet, while lifting Venezuelan crude.
Video released by US officials shows armed personnel fast-roping from a helicopter onto the tanker’s deck under a US court seizure warrant. Trump has publicly hinted that the US may “keep the oil”, while the Venezuelan government has condemned the operation as “shameless theft” and “international piracy”.
Beyond the geopolitics, this is a clear warning shot to high-risk trades: fake flags, AIS manipulation, sanctioned cargoes and stateless tonnage are now squarely in the enforcement crosshairs. Counterparties connected to such vessels face escalating legal, financial and reputational exposure.
Xinde Marine News will continue to monitor this case and its implications for tanker markets, sanctions compliance and maritime security.
SKIPPER is a 2005-built crude tanker of about 310,000 dwt, designated by OFAC in 2022 for allegedly transporting oil on behalf of Iran’s IRGC and Hezbollah. According to Vanguard’s maritime security intelligence, the vessel has been operating under a falsified Guyana flag (“Guyana False”), with AIS gaps, STS activity and other patterns typical of the so-called dark fleet, while lifting Venezuelan crude.
Video released by US officials shows armed personnel fast-roping from a helicopter onto the tanker’s deck under a US court seizure warrant. Trump has publicly hinted that the US may “keep the oil”, while the Venezuelan government has condemned the operation as “shameless theft” and “international piracy”.
Beyond the geopolitics, this is a clear warning shot to high-risk trades: fake flags, AIS manipulation, sanctioned cargoes and stateless tonnage are now squarely in the enforcement crosshairs. Counterparties connected to such vessels face escalating legal, financial and reputational exposure.
Xinde Marine News will continue to monitor this case and its implications for tanker markets, sanctions compliance and maritime security.
by Xinde Marine News Chen Yang
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Xinde Marine News.
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