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."

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"The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price," President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social before their death was announced.

Following the shooting, the White House was placed on lockdown, although Trump was not on site at the time. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have been briefed and are receiving continuous updates. The FBI is present at the scene, but no further details about the suspect or motive have been released yet, Fox News reported. The shooter was also critically wounded by the members of the National Guard who were attacked, and he was reportedly taken to the hospital in critical condition.

BREAKING — massive police and National Guard presence at Farragut West metro station. A block from White House. pic.twitter.com/Hz2wjjWa6d

— Jay O'Brien (@jayobtv) November 26, 2025

Authorities continue to investigate the incident while urging the public to avoid the area. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem expressed her thoughts and prayers for the National Guardsmen injured in the shooting. President Trump has been informed and is monitoring the situation as law enforcement secures the scene.

JUST IN: New video captures chaotic aftermath of downtown D.C. shooting that injured two National Guard troops near White House; suspect in custody
pic.twitter.com/r2mvNL82UJ

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) November 26, 2025

This is an ongoing event.

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The disclosure came as part of a broader briefing on the re-examination of the case against Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, by FBI agents and prosecutors. Bondi made the revelation during a meeting that also included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and covered various topics.

Bondi frequently meets with Trump to brief him on various matters, officials said. Both Bondi and Blanche previously served as lawyers for Trump before their current government roles.

The attorney general and deputy attorney general informed the president that his name, along with those of other high-profile figures, had surfaced in their re-examination of documents connected to the case that had not previously been made public.

The significance of the references to Trump remains unclear. However, the briefing highlights private West Wing discussions that are occurring as the president's team desperately attempts to move forward and quell the rebellion among Trump supporters who feel that he and some senior appointees misled them with campaign claims about making the files available.

Watch Jeffrey Epstein plead his Fifth, Sixth, and 14th Amendment rights when asked if he and Donald Trump socialized with females under the age of 18 during a 2010 deposition:

Q: Have you ever had a personal relationship with Donald Trump?
A. What do you mean by "personal… pic.twitter.com/JyM5LYJ0C4

— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 24, 2025

 Trump's top two FBI appointees were among those who, before assuming their government roles, insisted that more remained to be uncovered in the files. Earlier this year, Bondi described the files as containing significant material that requires thorough review.

Trump has already appeared in documents related to the investigation that have been made public. He maintained a friendship with Epstein until what Trump has described as a falling-out in the early 2000s.

At the White House in February, Bondi distributed several binders containing the Epstein files, which included, among others, the phone numbers of some of the president's family members, including his daughter.

"As part of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings," Bondi and Blanche wrote in a statement responding to questions about the briefing, which took place in May. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution," The New York Times reported.

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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed the initiative in a social media post, stating the department would reach out to Maxwell's legal counsel. "Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask what do you know? At @AGPamBondi's direction, I've contacted her counsel. I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law – and no lead is off-limits," Blanche wrote on X, referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi's efforts to address the ongoing controversy over the Trump administration supposedly stalling the full disclosure of the details of the case, which some have suggested means the president was somehow linked improperly to the financier (no proof has come out on this despite their past relationship).

The Trump administration has encountered growing criticism regarding its approach to handling Epstein-related documents and files. Officials have faced questions about transparency and the extent of information that might be released to the public concerning the case.

The deputy attorney general emphasized the department's commitment to pursuing all potential leads in the case. In a statement shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media platforms, Blanche indicated that federal authorities would welcome any information Maxwell might provide, CNN reported. "If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say," the statement read.

Maxwell's defense attorney David Oscar Markus confirmed ongoing discussions between his client and government officials. "I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case," Markus told CNN.

The convicted sex trafficker received a 20-year federal prison sentence for her role in a multi-year conspiracy with Epstein to groom and sexually abuse minors. Her participation in the scheme spanned years of criminal activity that targeted underage victims.

Blanche indicated that federal officials expect to conduct the meeting with Maxwell in the near future. The timing of this outreach coincides with broader Justice Department efforts to address lingering questions about the Epstein case and potential co-conspirators who remain unidentified.

The meeting initiative follows the Justice Department's recent request to a federal judge seeking to make public previously sealed grand jury testimony related to Epstein. These proceedings occurred behind closed doors as part of the original investigation into the financier's criminal activities, CNN reported.

Bondi had previously committed to releasing extensive documentation held by the Justice Department related to the Epstein investigation. However, the attorney general subsequently modified this position in a memorandum issued earlier this month, CNN reported. The memo stated that investigators found no evidence supporting the existence of an Epstein "client list" or substantiating claims that he was murdered.

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President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday his intention to nominate Pam Bondi as attorney general, selecting a longtime ally to lead a Justice Department he has repeatedly characterized as adversarial to his interests. The nomination, reported by The New York Times, came shortly after Representative Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration amid mounting concerns over allegations he participated in drug-fueled sex parties, making his Senate confirmation increasingly unlikely.

Bondi, 59, would bring significant experience to the role, having previously served as Florida's attorney general. Her nomination signals Trump's determination to reshape the Justice Department, which he has pledged to overhaul, citing what he describes as "deep state" opponents.

"Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime and Making America Safe Again," Trump declared in a social media post announcing his decision. "I have known Pam for many years. She is smart and tough, and is an America First fighter, who will do a terrific job as attorney general!"

Hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew as nominee for US Attorney General, President-elect Donald Trump named another official from Florida for the role - Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of the Sunshine State https://t.co/Gks3CMU3nT pic.twitter.com/ptSplanK66

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 22, 2024

The nominee currently heads the legal division at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank maintaining close connections with Trump's transition team. In this role, Bondi has overseen legal challenges related to voting in key battleground states. In the final stretch of his recent campaign, Bondi increased her visibility as a surrogate at Trump rallies, particularly as the campaign sought to demonstrate support among women voters.

Her relationship with Trump extends to his first impeachment, during which she served on his legal defense team.  This appointment could challenge the department's traditional independence from White House oversight in criminal investigations.

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