A massive oil tanker seized by the U.S. forces off Venezuela has arrived near Galveston, becoming a visible symbol of escalating tensions between Washington and the Maduro government as federal authorities broaden their enforcement actions.
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A U.S.-seized oil tanker linked to Venezuela is now stationed just off the Texas coast near Galveston, drawing renewed attention to rising tensions between the U.S. government and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The vessel, known as the Skipper, arrived at the Galveston Offshore Lightening Area on Dec. 21, according to global ship-tracking data. MarineTraffic shows the 1,090-foot tanker reached the area at 7:01 a.m. VesselTracker later listed it as moored at the site early Monday.
The Skipper, a Class A crude oil tanker, was seized by U.S. forces earlier this month off the Venezuelan coast. The U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and special operations personnel boarded the vessel on Dec. 10 and assumed control, according to multiple reports. The tanker was reportedly carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil at the time.
The ship has been under U.S. sanctions since 2022. The ship has been subject to U.S. sanctions since 2022. Federal authorities allege it was part of an oil-smuggling network tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah and operated by a Switzerland-based Ukrainian oil trader. Maritime tracking firms have also linked the vessel to illicit oil shipments to China and Russia.
Investigators say the tanker was falsely flying the flag of Guyana, a practice known as false flagging that violates international maritime rules. The tactic is often used to obscure a vessel’s actual ownership or origin.
“It’s quite audacious,” said Michelle Wiese Bockmann, an analyst with maritime intelligence firm Windward, in an interview with the Associated Press. “It’s quite bizarre.”
The seizure is part of a broader U.S. effort to pressure Venezuela’s oil-dependent government. U.S. officials have accused Maduro of narcoterrorism and conspiring to traffic drugs into the United States, allegations his government has repeatedly denied.
Reaction to the tanker’s arrival near Galveston has been mixed. Some U.S. lawmakers praised the action as a strong stance against Maduro, while others warned it risks escalating into a broader confrontation between the two countries.
Federal enforcement is expanding. Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security announced the seizure of a second tanker departing Venezuela. A third vessel is being targeted, according to BBC reporting.
The presence of the Skipper off the Texas coast makes the international dispute tangible for Gulf Coast residents, even as diplomatic and legal questions surrounding the seizures continue to unfold.
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