US forces have seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, describing it as “a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually.” The administration released video footage of the operation and officials said multiple agencies took part.
Attorney General Pam Bondi shared video of the boarding and described the ship as “a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.” Footage shows a military helicopter hovering over a vessel while troops descend to the deck on ropes; uniformed personnel are seen moving about the ship with weapons drawn.
Bondi said the operation was coordinated by the FBI, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote that the tanker had been sanctioned by the United States for years because of its “involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”
A senior military official told CBS that the helicopters used for the boarding launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which was deployed to the Caribbean last month. The operation reportedly involved two helicopters, 10 Coast Guard members, 10 Marines and special forces. A source told CBS that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was aware of the operation and that the administration was considering further similar actions.
When asked what would be done with the oil aboard the tanker, President Trump said: “We keep it, I guess… I assume we’re going to keep the oil.”
Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Skipper and said it believed the ship had been “spoofing” its location for an extended period. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the Skipper in 2022, alleging involvement in oil smuggling that generated revenue for Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Quds Force, CBS reported.
BBC Verify located the tanker on MarineTraffic, which showed the vessel sailing under the Guyana flag when its position was last updated two days prior. Guyana’s Maritime Administration later said the Skipper was “falsely flying the Guyana Flag as it is not registered in Guyana.”
Caracas strongly condemned the seizure. The Venezuelan government called it a “grave international crime,” and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello denounced the action as high-seas criminality, calling the U.S. “murderers, thieves, pirates” and accusing Washington of provoking conflicts worldwide. President Nicolás Maduro, speaking at a rally, urged peace and sang along to the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” telling Americans opposed to war with Venezuela to reject conflict. It is unclear whether Maduro was aware of the seizure before the rally.
The Trump administration has been stepping up pressure on Maduro’s government, accusing Venezuela of trafficking narcotics into the United States and seeking to isolate the regime. Venezuela, which sits on some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, has accused the U.S. of attempting to seize its resources.
News of the seizure pushed Brent crude prices slightly higher amid short-term supply concerns. Analysts warned the action could increase risks for shippers and further disrupt Venezuelan oil exports.
The move comes amid an expanded U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and thousands of additional personnel within striking distance of Venezuela. Since September, U.S. forces have carried out multiple strikes on boats in the region that Washington says were involved in drug smuggling; at least 22 such strikes have been reported, with at least 80 people killed, according to U.S. accounts.
Ione Wells contributed to this report from São Paulo, Brazil.