U.S. seizes oil tanker off Venezuela, Trump says, sending oil prices higher
The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said, a move that pushed crude prices higher and risks deepening tensions between Washington and Caracas over sanctions and energy flows.
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“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” Trump said. He offered no details on the ship’s identity or where the interdiction occurred, and authorities did not name the tanker, its flag or the exact location of the operation.
British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the vessel believed to be involved is the Skipper, reportedly seized off Venezuela. The United States has previously sanctioned the ship for its alleged role in Iranian oil trading when it operated under the name Adisa.
Oil futures rose on the news. Brent crude settled up 27 cents, or 0.4%, at $62.21 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate added 21 cents, or 0.4%, to close at $58.46.
The seizure underscores the widening reach of U.S. sanctions enforcement at a time when Venezuela’s embattled oil sector has been moving more barrels. The country exported more than 900,000 barrels per day last month, the third-highest monthly average so far this year, as state-run PDVSA imported more naphtha to dilute its extra heavy crude, according to industry data cited by traders. Until now, Washington had largely avoided direct interference with Venezuela’s oil shipments, even as it tightened sanctions on President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Venezuela has been forced to discount crude shipments to its main buyer, China, amid growing competition from other sanctioned barrels from Russia and Iran. That crowded, opaque market has increased the role of ship-to-ship transfers, reflagging and name changes to mask cargo origins—practices that U.S. officials have sought to deter with stepped-up designations and seizures.
“This is just yet another geopolitical sanctions headwind hammering spot supply availability,” said Rory Johnston, an analyst with Commodity Context. “Seizing this tanker further inflames those prompt supply concerns but also doesn’t immediately change the situation fundamentally because these barrels were already going to be floating around for a while.”
The maritime action comes amid a broader U.S. military buildup in the region. Trump has ordered additional forces, including an aircraft carrier, fighter jets and tens of thousands of troops, framing the deployment as part of a campaign against narcotrafficking and malign actors. Maduro has accused Washington of plotting to overthrow him and seize control of the OPEC nation’s vast oil reserves, charges U.S. officials deny.
Since early September, the Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing more than 80 people, according to official tallies. Legal experts have questioned the operations, noting scant public evidence that targeted boats were carrying narcotics and raising concerns about proportionality after reports that a commander ordered a second strike that killed two survivors.
Public skepticism about the maritime campaign has grown. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found broad opposition to the use of deadly force against suspected drug boats, including among roughly one-fifth of Republicans. Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and, in a strategy document published last week, said his administration would focus on reasserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
Traders and shipping analysts are watching for U.S. confirmation of the seized vessel’s identity, flag and cargo, as well as any follow-on actions that could disrupt Venezuelan exports or tighten global supplies. For now, the seizure highlights Washington’s willingness to extend sanctions enforcement from financial channels to physical assets on the high seas—raising the stakes for shippers, insurers and refiners that operate near blacklisted barrels.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
