The United States seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. President Donald Trump announced the action on Wednesday. The move immediately increased global oil prices. It also sharply escalated diplomatic and military tensions between Washington and Caracas.
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” President Trump stated. “Large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually.” When asked about the fate of the seized oil, he replied, “We keep it, I guess.” The Trump administration has consistently pressured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to resign.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi provided operational details on social media. She confirmed the FBI, Homeland Security, and Coast Guard executed the seizure. They had support from US military assets. The warrant targeted a crude oil tanker transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Bondi posted a 45-second video of the operation. It showed two helicopters approaching a vessel. Armed individuals in camouflage then rappelled onto the ship’s deck. Administration officials did not publicly name the seized vessel.
US forces have intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a move that marks a serious escalation of tensions between the two countries https://t.co/6S6V6J0tEL
— Bloomberg (@business) December 10, 2025British maritime risk firm Vanguard identified the tanker as the Skipper. It was reportedly seized early Wednesday. The US had previously sanctioned this vessel for involvement in Iranian oil trades. It was formerly named the Adisa.
Shipping data reveals the Skipper loaded 1.1 million barrels of Venezuelan Merey crude. This occurred at Venezuela’s main port of Jose between December 4 and 5. The data comes from TankerTrackers.com and internal PDVSA records.
Oil futures rose following the news of the seizure. Brent crude settled at $62.21 a barrel, a 0.4% gain. US West Texas Intermediate crude also rose 0.4%, closing at $58.46 per barrel.
President Maduro did not address the seizure directly on Wednesday. He spoke at a march commemorating a historical military battle. Venezuela exported over 900,000 barrels per day last month. This marked its third-highest monthly average this year.
President Trump's administration has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, two US officials told Reuters. The move comes amid a massive military build-up in the region, including an aircraft carrier, fighter jets and tens of thousands of troops https://t.co/GzmoApIIRe pic.twitter.com/nWuA96kla7
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 10, 2025Analyst Rory Johnston of Commodity Context commented on the impact. “This is just yet another geopolitical/sanctions headwind,” Johnston said. He noted the action inflames supply concerns but doesn’t fundamentally change floating storage dynamics.
Chevron, a key partner of Venezuela’s PDVSA, stated its operations continue normally. The company recently increased Venezuelan crude exports to the US to 150,000 barrels per day.
Read: President Trump Announces Closure of Venezuelan Airspace
This tanker seizure represents a significant escalation. President Trump has repeatedly suggested possible military intervention in Venezuela. The US has conducted over 20 strikes against suspected drug vessels since September. These actions have raised legal and humanitarian concerns among experts and lawmakers.
