US forces seized an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast Wednesday that was sanctioned for alleged ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, officials confirmed, according to CBS News. The vessel, identified as The Skipper, had been involved in "an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations" for multiple years, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated. President Donald Trump announced the capture during a White House meeting, saying the tanker was "seized for a very good reason" and indicating America would keep the oil cargo.
US commandos seized a substantial petroleum tanker near Venezuela Wednesday in a military operation, government sources confirmed, according to CBS News. President Donald Trump stated America would retain the vessel's oil cargo.
Video: Trump speaks about The Skipper off Venezuela on Dec. 10, 2025 / Credit: X/@FBIDirectorKash
Bloomberg initially reported the capture, which Trump announced during White House meetings as "seized for a very good reason," CBS News noted.
"As you probably know, we've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large," Trump told attendees, per CBS News. "Largest one ever seized, actually. And other things are happening, so you'll be seeing that later and you'll be talking about that later with some other people."
Queried about the petroleum's fate, Trump replied, "Well we keep it, I guess," before stating, "I assume we're going to keep the oil," according to CBS News.
Caracas issued a denunciation "strongly denounces and repudiates what constitutes a shameless robbery and an act of international piracy," CBS News reported. "In these circumstances, the real reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been exposed. It's not migration. It's not drug trafficking. It's not democracy. It's not human rights. It was always about our natural wealth, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people," the Venezuelan statement declared.
Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. For multiple… pic.twitter.com/dNr0oAGl5x
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) December 10, 2025
Knowledgeable sources identified the vessel as "The Skipper", with action commencing around 6 a.m. Wednesday deploying two helicopters, 10 Coast Guard personnel, 10 Marines and specialized operators, senior officials told CBS News. Forces intercepted the tanker moments after its Venezuelan port departure.
Helicopters carrying Coast Guard Maritime Security and Response Team members – an elite interdiction unit from Chesapeake, Virginia – launched from the USS Gerald Ford, America's most sophisticated carrier currently stationed in Caribbean waters, CBS News reported.
Treasury imposed sanctions on The Skipper in 2022 for connections to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah, according to the report. The vessel formerly sailed as Adisa and The Toyo.
Attorney General Pam Bondi distributed seizure footage via social media, noting the tanker was "used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran" and was captured by FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and Coast Guard personnel, "with support from the Department of War," CBS News stated. "For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations," Bondi declared.
Coast Guard authorities directed the mission with Naval assistance, per CBS News. Though federal agencies have confiscated sanctioned tankers before, fast-rope helicopter boardings remain uncommon at sea.
Officials are evaluating further similar missions, sources told CBS News. Trump has warned about extending America's maritime campaign targeting alleged narcotics vessels onto Venezuelan territory. Washington dispatched two fighter aircraft over Venezuela's gulf this week amid regional force augmentation.
Last week during a Cabinet session, Trump informed journalists, "We're going to start doing those strikes on land, too," when questioned about maritime operations, CBS News reported. "You know, the land is much easier ... And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we're going to start that very soon, too."
