US Seizes Sanctioned Oil Tanker Off Venezuela Coast; Russia Warns of Dangerous Escalation
Trump Administration Confirms Tanker Seizure, Vows to ‘Keep’ Oil; Maduro Regime Calls Act ‘Piracy’ as Putin Reaffirms Strategic Support
US Forces Physically Seize Oil Tanker in Caribbean
The Donald Trump administration has executed a dramatic escalation of its sanctions enforcement, confirming the physical seizure of a major oil tanker in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela on December 10, 2025. The vessel, identified as the Skipper, was allegedly part of the “shadow fleet” used to transport sanctioned crude oil from both Venezuela and Iran, often attempting to conceal its location by broadcasting false position data.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the seizure was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations under a judicial warrant, arguing the vessel was known for carrying black market oil that funds sanctioned entities like Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. President Trump personally confirmed the operation, stating the United States will “keep” the oil seized, viewing the action as a direct enforcement of U.S. law against regimes deemed to be engaged in “narco-terrorism.”
Viral Video and Accusations of ‘International Piracy’
The highly sensitive operation—which involves armed US personnel boarding and taking control of a civilian vessel—has been documented in various forms, leading to videos and images circulating widely across social media and state-controlled news networks in sanctioned countries. These viral videos are being leveraged by the Venezuelan government to portray the US action as a blatant act of “international state banditry” and “piracy.”
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza immediately condemned the seizure as a “barefaced robbery” intended to deprive the nation of its oil wealth. The physical seizure marks a clear departure from past sanctions enforcement methods, which primarily relied on financial penalties and blacklisting, moving the conflict into the maritime domain.
Russia Warns of Precedent and Strategic Stability
The aggressive U.S. action has drawn an immediate and stern response from Russia, which views the physical interdiction of shadow tankers as a dangerous precedent. Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately held an urgent phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following the incident, as confirmed by the Kremlin.
While Moscow did not explicitly use the term “war,” Russian foreign ministry officials have issued strongly worded statements, warning that the U.S. is creating conditions that jeopardize regional and strategic stability. Russia is concerned that this tactic could be applied to its own oil shipments, which increasingly rely on the same “shadow fleet” to bypass Western price caps and sanctions. The seizure of the Skipper is seen in Moscow as a direct challenge to the rules of international commerce and a calculated step that risks a wider geopolitical confrontation by militarizing sanctions enforcement.