President Trump announced the seizure of Venezuela’s largest oil tanker ever captured by U.S. forces, delivering a decisive blow against the Maduro regime’s terrorist-supporting oil smuggling network.
Story Highlights
- U.S. Coast Guard seized the “Skipper” tanker carrying 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil
- Tanker previously sanctioned for supporting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah terrorist operations
- Operation conducted from USS Gerald R. Ford as part of largest regional military buildup in decades
- Venezuela’s Maduro regime denounces seizure while threatening retaliation against America
Trump Administration Takes Decisive Action Against Terror-Linked Oil Network
President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that U.S. forces seized a massive Venezuelan oil tanker off the South American nation’s coast, marking an unprecedented escalation in America’s campaign against the narco-terrorist Maduro regime.
The Coast Guard-led operation captured the “Skipper,” carrying approximately 2 million barrels of heavy crude oil destined for Cuban state importers. Trump emphasized the seizure targeted “the largest tanker ever seized” and declared America would retain the valuable cargo.
Trump says the U.S. has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuelahttps://t.co/96t8IUbPLw pic.twitter.com/jild6ABAgr
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 11, 2025
Military Operation Exposes Maduro’s Terrorist Connections
Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed the seized vessel had been sanctioned for years due to its involvement in illicit oil shipping networks supporting foreign terrorist organizations.
The tanker, formerly known as the M/T Adisa, was previously sanctioned in 2022 for smuggling crude oil benefiting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.
This sophisticated shadow network operated through a Switzerland-based Ukrainian trader, demonstrating the complex web of intermediaries helping hostile regimes evade U.S. sanctions.
Venezuela’s Desperate Response Reveals Regime Weakness
Maduro’s government immediately condemned the seizure as “international piracy,” claiming it exposed America’s true intentions regarding Venezuela’s natural resources. The dictator threatened to “break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary” during a ruling-party demonstration in Caracas.
However, Venezuela’s reliance on ghost tankers and shell companies to circumvent sanctions reveals the regime’s desperation to maintain its crumbling economy built on narcoterrorism and international criminal networks.
Strategic Victory Advances Regional Security Goals
The operation launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford, part of America’s largest Caribbean military presence in decades. Coast Guard members fast-roped from helicopters onto the tanker’s deck with weapons drawn, demonstrating America’s resolve to combat regional threats.
This decisive action follows Trump’s broader campaign against drug-smuggling operations that have eliminated dozens of criminal vessels since September. The seizure effectively disrupts Venezuela’s primary economic lifeline while sending a clear message to other rogue regimes.
