United States Coast Guard and Navy operatives have dramatically intercepted and boarded the Nigerian-managed supertanker *Skipper* in international waters off Venezuela, accusing the vessel of crude oil theft, piracy, and links to transnational organised crime.
The daring operation, executed Wednesday via helicopter fast-roping onto the deck, targeted the 330,000-deadweight-ton very large crude carrier (VLCC) as it carried roughly 1.1 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil loaded at Jose Terminal and reportedly destined for Cuba.
Authorities allege the *Skipper* — managed by Lagos-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd and registered under a Marshall Islands shell company — was illegally flying the Guyanese flag to mask its activities. Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) swiftly confirmed the vessel is not listed on its national registry and condemned the unauthorised use of its flag as part of a growing “unacceptable trend” in maritime deception.
This marks the latest blow against the shadowy “dark fleet” of ageing tankers that evade sanctions on Venezuela and Iran. The US Treasury had already blacklisted *Skipper* in 2022 for allegedly transporting millions of barrels of illicit oil, with proceeds funnelled to Iran’s Quds Force and Hezbollah.
Venezuela’s government branded the seizure “an act of piracy” and vowed retaliation, while US officials described the operation as enforcement of a federal court warrant amid broader efforts to disrupt Maduro-regime revenue streams.
For Nigeria, the incident casts an unwelcome spotlight on local operators involved in high-risk international shipping. Thomarose Global Ventures has yet to issue a public response as the vessel — now under US control — is escorted northward.
The raid underscores escalating American pressure on sanction-busters, with experts warning that dozens more ghost ships continue to ply similar routes in defiance of global tracking systems. As investigations widen, the fate of *Skipper* and its cargo hangs in the balance.
