Generic Hero BannerGeneric Hero Banner
Latest Market News

US seizes tanker off coast of Venezuela: Update 2

  • Spanish Market: Crude oil, Freight
  • 10/12/25

Updates with vessel name, other details throughout.

The US seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday as it carried crude to Cuba, a significant escalation of US pressure on the South American country.

The tanker, the very-large crude carrier Skipper according to British maritime security firm Vanguard Risk Group, was laden with Venezuelan crude loaded at the port of Jose, Venezuela's main export hub. It was set to discharge in Cuba on 17 December, according to shipping information firm Kpler.

The tanker is on a US list of sanctioned vessels allegedly involved in illegally transporting Iranian and Venezuelan crude, US attorney general Pam Bondi said via a social media post.

Venezuela's government called the seizure "an act of international piracy".

Neither Venezuela's state-owned oil company PdV nor its energy ministry responded to requests for comment. The tanker is not connected to Chevron, which operates in Venezuela under a US sanctions waiver, a company source in Venezuela said.

Trump first announced the seizure earlier Wednesday during a live broadcast while speaking to business leaders at the White House about his administration's efforts to rein in inflation — including by lowering oil prices.

January Nymex WTI rose by 21¢/bl on Wednesday to close at $58.46/bl — adding about $1/bl from the session low after news of the tanker seizure.

The US has stationed a large naval force in the waters near Venezuela since September as part of an effort ostensibly aimed at stopping waterborne drug shipments. The US has destroyed around 20 small boats in the area it said were carrying drugs, killing more than 80 people. Trump said on 27 November that he would order land strikes against Venezuela soon.

The administration's maritime operations near Venezuela had come under scrutiny from Congress before the tanker was seized, with some lawmakers asserting that the US military may have committed war crimes by indiscriminately targeting the crews of boats allegedly carrying drugs.

Taking their oil

The US is likely to keep the Venezuelan oil cargo it seized, Trump said on Wednesday.

The US since 2019 has seized seven tankers carrying Iranian oil in international waters. All were transported to the US, with US courts allowing the government to sell the cargoes and use the proceeds to satisfy legal claims brought forward against Tehran by US citizens.


Generic Hero Banner

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more