The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Feb. 27 it is suing for forfeiture of the seized motor tanker Skipper, which allegedly violated American sanctions by carrying Venezuelan and Iranian oil.
The United States seized the vessel in the Caribbean Sea in December 2025, along with its cargo of 1.8 million barrels of crude oil, under a judicially authorized seizure warrant.
The United States began seizing ships in December 2025 to target the so-called shadow fleet evading U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and sanctions related to Iranian and Russian oil.
The department alleged in the new legal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the nation’s capital that the crude oil cargo on the Skipper was supplied by the Venezuelan state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA)….
DOJ Sues for Ownership of Oil Tanker That Allegedly Violated Venezuela Sanctions
