Overview
- A heavily redacted U.S. warrant signed by Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui authorized the helicopter-borne seizure of the Skipper, and the White House says the vessel will head to a U.S. port where the oil will be taken.
- The Justice Department alleges the tanker carried sanctioned Venezuelan and Iranian crude in a network supporting Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
- Washington announced additional sanctions on shipping firms and individuals, while shipping data shows Venezuelan exports have largely halted with roughly 11 million barrels stranded near its coast.
- Venezuela denounced the operation as piracy and theft, and ALBA allies publicly backed Nicolás Maduro and condemned the U.S. action.
- Congressional voices from both parties are pressing for legal oversight and clarity on objectives, even as opposition leader María Corina Machado endorsed increased U.S. pressure on Maduro.