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Seized tanker to be sold along with its cargo
Regarding the fate of the ' Skipper', which was the first VLCC seized by US on Dec 10, 2025, is to be sold ASAP. The USA, in a court filing made on March 12, were asking for an order to permit an immediate interlocutory sale of the seized tanker and its cargo, which was being stored onshore. The filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia assertedthat the expenses of holding the tanker and its oil cargo will quickly negate the value of the cargo. The tanker, which was built in 2005 and has been operating in the shadow fleet since 2022, was reported to be in very poor condition. The U.S. shave repaired serious safety deficiencies to maintain the vessel, which was too large to enter the Houston Ship Channel. It has been held in the anchorage off Texas since Dec 21. The U.S. has spent $47 millionin repairs and maintenance of the vessel, as well as for the storage of the oil cargo. It was expected the amount could increase by a further $5 million based on insurance costs, crew, and weather considerations over the next two months. The U.S. was spending $15,000 per day, $450,000 per month, to store the oil onshore. The current value of the 'Skipper' was listed at $10 million. The oil cargo’s value was estimated to be between $120 and $135 million, depending on the quality and market fluctuations. The forfeiture case was filed on Feb 26, and on Feb 27, the court granted the arrest warrant for the vessel and its cargo. The cargo of approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan oil was transferred to an onshore storage facility pending resolution of the case before the court. In the original filing, the U.S. documented the vessel’s involvement with the Iranian and Venezuelan oil trades and said the current cargo was loaded in mid-November in Venezuela, with the majority, 1.1 million barrels, destined for Cuba.The tanker was claiming to be sailing under the flag of Guyana, which was false. It has not had a known registry since 2022, when its classification was withdrawn. Its last known inspection was in 2019. The owners was listed to be a corporation in Nigeria. The proposed order would give the government the power to contact interested buyers for the ship and the cargo. If it received a reasonable price, it could go forward, but the proceeds would be held in an interest-bearing account until the forfeiture case has been completed.
US Department of Justice filed civil lawsuit to confiscate shadow tanker
The US Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit to confiscate the 'Skipper' and approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil. This legal action was following the interception of the vessel in Dec 2025, which has been accused of acting as a source of funding for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its operational arm, the Quds Force. The 'Skipper', formerly known as the 'Adisa', used concealment tactics such as false flags and manipulation of location systems to transport crude oil from Venezuela and Iran to restricted destinations like Syria and Cuba. Investigations also revealed that the vessel refueled at Venezuela's José Terminal shortly before being intercepted at sea by U.S. authorities. Prosecutors argued that the profits from these operations financed weapons proliferation and regional destabilization. By removing the tanker from the sea, federal agencies, including the FBI and HSI, have been sending a clear message about the inviolability of existing trade sanctions. Following its seizure, the 'Skipper' was taken to the Texas coast, where it remains in custody while the District Court of Columbia processes the forfeiture lawsuit. According to the documents filed, the confiscated cargo was largely destined for the Cuban state-owned company Cubametales. As of March 3, the 'Skipper' remained moored in the Gulf of Mexico off Houston in pos. 28° 35' N 094° 39' W.
Seized tanker had tried to hide its position
The 'Skipper' may have been trying to hide its position in the past. From October until as late as Dece 4, satellite images showed the ship was in Venezuela, while its transponder showed on several occasions that it was off Guyana and Suriname. The ship has been on the US sanctions list since 2022 for being part of an “international oil smuggling network”. From February to July of this year, the tanker allegedly transported nearly two million barrels of oil from Iran to China. The ship was classified in 2021 as part of the global shadow fleet and has since transported about 13 million barrels of oil from Iran and Venezuela. Report with photos: https://militarnyi.com/en/news/how-a-u-s-blacklisted-tanker-bypassed-the-blockade-of-venezuela/
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