The United States has seized a massive crude oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking one of the Trump administration’s most direct and forceful actions yet against Nicolás Maduro and the illicit oil network that has helped sustain his regime. The operation, carried out peacefully at sea, underscores Washington’s escalating efforts to disrupt oil smuggling tied to both Venezuela and Iran—two governments long sanctioned for supporting foreign terrorist organizations.

Video released by Attorney General Pam Bondi shows U.S. military helicopters approaching the vessel before armed personnel board and secure it. Speaking from the White House, President Trump confirmed the operation, noting that the tanker was “very large” and emphasizing that the United States “assumes we’re going to keep the oil,” a clear signal of the administration’s intention to dismantle Maduro’s revenue pipelines.

The ship, identified as *The Skipper*, has been under U.S. sanctions since 2022 for its role in transporting crude oil from Venezuela and Iran as part of an illicit financing network benefiting terrorist groups. According to U.S. officials, the tanker was loaded with as much as two million barrels of crude taken from Venezuela’s Jose port between December 2 and 5.

A joint team from the FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard, and additional federal agencies executed the warrant without resistance. The vessel and its cargo are now in U.S. custody, and officials have signaled that the oil may ultimately be sold, with the proceeds directed to the U.S. Treasury under existing sanctions law.

Predictably, the Maduro regime denounced the seizure as “piracy,” attempting to frame the operation as an attack on Venezuelan sovereignty. However, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado praised the move, calling it a necessary step to cut off Maduro’s financial lifelines and further isolate his government.

U.S. officials have described the tanker’s capture as part of a broader strategy to enforce maritime sanctions, disrupt terrorist financing channels, and continue applying economic pressure on the Venezuelan dictatorship. With months of increased U.S. military presence in the region preceding the operation, the administration has viewed the ongoing crackdown as essential to preventing sanctioned oil from fueling destabilizing activities across the globe.

The peaceful seizure of *The Skipper* demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated U.S. intelligence, naval positioning, and legal enforcement—setting another precedent in the administration’s campaign to hold state sponsors of terrorism accountable.