US to Bring Seized Venezuelan Oil Tanker to American Port; More Ship Seizures Possible

The United States will bring an oil tanker seized off the coast of Venezuela to a US port and intends to confiscate the oil onboard, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday — a move that signals a major escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.

Leavitt said the tanker, seized in a US military operation earlier this week, will undergo “proper legal processes”, but emphasised that Washington would not hesitate to target other sanctioned vessels.

“We’re not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black-market oil,” she said. “The proceeds… fuel narco-terrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world.”

While the US has not officially named the tanker, British maritime risk firm Vanguard identified it as the crude carrier Skipper, sanctioned in 2022 for allegedly helping transport oil for Iran’s Quds Force and Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Venezuela condemned the move as “international piracy.”

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US Military Pressure Intensifies

The seizure comes amid a sharp expansion of US military activity in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, including:

• 22 known US strikes since September 2 on alleged drug-smuggling vessels

• At least 87 people killed in those operations

• Growing speculation that the Trump administration is preparing aggressive action against Maduro

President Donald Trump, in multiple public appearances, has warned that the US may soon carry out strikes on land, possibly inside Venezuela.

“The land is much easier… We know where the bad ones live,” Trump said on December 2.

Experts, however, dispute Washington’s claims, noting that Venezuela is not a major source of drugs entering the United States.

Maduro says the pressure campaign is aimed at toppling his government and gaining access to the country’s vast oil reserves — an accusation US officials deny.

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Putin Expresses ‘Solidarity’ With Venezuela

Hours after the tanker seizure was announced, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Maduro and expressed strong support.

The Kremlin readout said Putin “confirmed his support for the Maduro government’s policy aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty.”

Venezuela’s government described the call as reaffirming the “strategic, solid and growing” partnership between Caracas and Moscow. The statement noted that channels of direct communication remain “permanently open.”

Venezuela’s list of close allies has shrunk in Latin America — now largely limited to Cuba and Nicaragua — but its ties with Russia, China, and Iran have deepened in recent years.