Seized Oil Supertanker Stirs Tensions Between the U.S. and Venezuela

The U.S. has seized the oil supertanker Skipper near Venezuela, intensifying pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. Carrying 1.85 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, the vessel is headed to Houston. The seizure increases tensions between Washington and Caracas, with plans to intercept more Venezuelan oil shipments.

The oil supertanker Skipper, recently seized by the U.S. near Venezuela, is now charting a course towards Houston as part of a broader strategy to pressure President Nicolas Maduro. According to two informed sources, the Very Large Crude Carrier is loaded with approximately 1.85 million barrels of Venezuela's Merey heavy crude, which satellite images from TankerTrackers.com confirmed.

The Skipper will not be able to navigate the Houston ship channel due to its size. Consequently, it will need to dock nearby and transfer its cargo to smaller vessels, as announced by port authorities. Despite the vessel's impending arrival, the Greater Houston Port Bureau has not yet received any notifications or agent filings for the M/V SKIPPER's docking, stated President Eric Carrero.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi indicated that the tanker was intercepted and retained under a legal seizure warrant. Additionally, the tanker was falsely flying Guyana's flag, according to Guyana's maritime authority. The act of seizing the sanctioned oil tanker has heightened already fraught relations between Washington and Caracas. Sources have also disclosed that Washington is gearing up to intercept additional ships carrying Venezuelan oil.

(With inputs from agencies.)