US Seized Tanker Near Venezuela Just as Warrant Was Set to Expire, Court Document Shows

A satellite image shows the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Skipper, which British maritime risk management group Vanguard said was believed to have been seized on Dec. 10, as well as other vessels, off Port Jose, Venezuela, on Nov. 14, 2025. 2025 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters

WASHINGTON—The U.S. government carried out its seizure of the M/T Skipper off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday just as a judge-signed warrant was set to expire, according to the document which was unsealed on Friday.

The warrant, which was signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui on Nov. 26, gave the Trump administration until Dec. 10, 2025 to seize the vessel. The seizure is the first of a Venezuelan oil cargo amid U.S. sanctions that have been in force since 2019.