US seizes sanctioned vessel off Venezuela coast

11 December 2025

The US has seized a sanctioned vessel off the coast of Venezuela. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the crude oil tanker has been used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela to Iran. The vessel is said to be the Skipper, which was sanctioned by the US in 2022 under EO 13224 (its counterterrorism sanctions regime) when it was sailing under a previous name. It sails under the flag of Guyana.

The vessel was not sanctioned under the US Venezuela sanctions regime; however, its seizure has been linked to US-Venezuela relations. The US first imposed Venezuela sanctions in response to Venezuela’s alleged lack of cooperation on US anti-drug and counter-terrorism efforts. See our US Venezuela page for information on sanctions currently imposed by the US.