A U.S. warrant unsealed Friday reveals the Coast Guard seized the M/T Skipper, a crude oil tanker intercepted near Venezuela, just before the warrant was set to expire Wednesday.
The seizure comes amid heightened U.S. sanctions targeting Venezuelan oil shipping networks and key figures in President Nicolás Maduro’s administration. The Trump administration has been intensifying measures to block what it calls illicit oil flows linked to both Venezuela and Iran, raising the stakes for companies transporting the country’s crude.
The warrant, signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui on November 26, authorized the seizure of assets involved in planning or carrying out federal crimes related to terrorism, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney General’s office for Washington, D.C.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the seizure underscores ongoing efforts to enforce U.S. sanctions and cut off adversaries from financial markets and critical technology. He described the action as a demonstration of success in imposing costs on the governments of Venezuela and Iran.
Despite the tensions, oil prices have not spiked, as global supply continues to exceed demand, Venezuela’s output remains small on the world stage, and traders are less focused on pricing in geopolitical risks.