US sanctions six more ships after seizing oil tanker off Venezuela
The US recently seized an oil tanker named Skipper off Venezuela’s coast and imposed sanctions on six additional ships involved in transporting Venezuelan oil.
US forces captured the Skipper, a vessel previously sanctioned in 2022 for alleged oil smuggling ties, which was carrying about 2 million barrels of crude worth around $78 million. The White House plans to redirect it to a US port for oil confiscation, amid heightened naval presence including the USS Gerald Ford.
Targets include six shipping companies like My Marine Limited and vessels such as H. Constance and Lattafa, flagged under Panama, Cook Islands, and Hong Kong. Sanctions also hit three nephews of President Nicolás Maduro’s wife and related businesses, aiming to curb funding for what the US calls his illegitimate regime and narco-trafficking.
Venezuela denounced the actions as “international piracy” and crew kidnapping, with Maduro vowing resistance against becoming an “oil colony.” US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, framed it as accountability for Maduro’s “dictatorial control,” while signaling potential further seizures.
