US seized tanker near Venezuela just as warrant was set to expire, shows court document
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The Skipper left Venezuela’s main oil port of Jose between Dec 4 and 5 after loading about 1.8 million barrels of heavy crude.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – The US government carried out its seizure of the Skipper off the coast of Venezuela
The warrant, which was signed by US Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui on Nov 26, gave the Trump administration until Dec 10 to seize the vessel.
The seizure is the first of a Venezuelan oil cargo amid US sanctions that have been in force since 2019.
The Skipper left Venezuela’s main oil port of Jose between Dec 4 and 5 after loading about 1.8 million barrels of Venezuela’s Merey heavy crude.
The Trump administration has said the Skipper was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
“The seizure of this vessel highlights our successful efforts to impose costs on the governments of Venezuela and Iran,” Federal Bureau of Investigation director Kash Patel said in a statement on Dec 12.
Sources have told Reuters that the US is preparing to intercept more ships
Despite the unsealing of the warrant, the accompanying affidavit remained redacted. The judge said other documents in the case will remain under seal temporarily.
This week’s seizure, condemned by the Venezuelan government, was the latest escalation in growing tensions between Washington and Caracas.
In recent months, the US has carried out several strikes against suspected drug vessels in the region – a move that has been condemned by US lawmakers and legal experts.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of a US military intervention in Venezuela as the US continues to build up its military forces in and around the southern Caribbean. REUTERS
