Overview
- The warrant signed by a magistrate judge on November 25 was executed December 10 by the U.S. Coast Guard with FBI, DHS and military support, with video showing personnel fast‑roping onto the vessel.
- White House officials say the ship will be taken to a U.S. port and the crude will be claimed through forfeiture procedures, with two U.S. officials indicating Galveston as the expected destination and the crew to be released upon arrival.
- Treasury and State announced new sanctions on six shipping companies, six vessels and several individuals, including three of Nicolás Maduro’s nephews, citing links to deceptive oil trades benefiting designated groups.
- Venezuela denounced the action as piracy and pledged diplomatic protests, Russia voiced support for Caracas, and the U.N. urged restraint as some U.S. lawmakers questioned the operation’s legal basis.
- The Skipper, formerly the Adisa and sanctioned since 2022, is alleged to be part of an illicit network tied to Iran’s IRGC and Hezbollah and had loaded about 1.8 million barrels at José, transferring roughly 200,000 barrels near Curaçao before the seizure, with officials signaling more seizures could follow.