US seizes oil tanker off Venezuela falsely flying Guyana flag

The United States yesterday seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela which was falsely flying a Guyana flag, this country’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) says, as the agency condemned the act while highlighting it will continue to work with international partners to take action against the illegal practice.

“Today, the Government of the United States of America (USA) informed the Guyana Maritime Administration Department that they have encountered the Motor Tanker SKIPPER (ex-ADISA), IMO Number 9304667 in International Waters. It was falsely flying the Guyana Flag, as it is not registered in Guyana,” MARAD last evening said in a statement.

“MARAD will continue to reach out to and work with international partners and other maritime agencies to identify, pursue, and take firm action against any unauthorized use of the Guyana Flag,” it added.

MARAD’s response came after Stabroek News had reached out to Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, the Guyana Defence Force, and National Security Advisor, Gerry Gouveia.

It was the National Security Advisor who referred this newspaper to Director of MARAD, Stephen Thomas, and he, Thomas, said that a release would be issued.

It is not the first time that this has happened as MARAD said that it has, “observed the proliferation and unacceptable trend of the unauthorised use of the Guyana Flag by vessels that are not registered in Guyana.”

It was US President Donald Trump who announced the vessel’s seizure.  “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” Trump said.

The US Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday also took to social media platform X , saying that her country’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations, and the US Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed the seizure. “For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues,” she said.

Reuters yesterday reported that three US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the operation was led by the US Coast Guard, but had not stated which country’s flag it was flying or exactly where the interdiction took place.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard, Reuters noted, stated that the tanker -Skipper -was believed to have been seized off Venezuela early yesterday.

According to Vessel Finder, Skipper, which bears IMO/MMSI numbers 9304667 / 750330000 respectively, was last seen in South America with flag state Automatic Identification System (AIS) showing Guyana.

It also showed that the last port for the vessel was Khor al Fakkan Anch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on September 19th last at 1:54pm.

The US has imposed sanctions on the tanker for what Washington said was involvement in Iranian oil trading when it was called the Adisa, Reuters noted.

It said that oil futures rose following news of the seizure. After trading in negative territory, Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose 27 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $62.21 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 gained 21 cents, also 0.4%, to close at $58.46 per barrel.

Checks at press time last evening showed Brent crude at US$62.18 per barrel.

Caracas last evening issued two communiques condemning the act, as the Nicolas Maduro government accused Trump of using the seizure to get Venezuela’s oil.

“In these circumstances, the true reasons behind the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been exposed. It is not migration. It is not drug trafficking. It is not democracy. It is not human rights. It has always been about our natural resources, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,” the communique said.

“We also denounce that this act of piracy seeks to distract attention and cover up the resounding failure of the political show staged today in Oslo, where the manipulations and lack of results of those who have unsuccessfully attempted for years to bring about “regime change” through violence and in open complicity with Western governments were once again exposed,” it added. This was a reference to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado.

The missive made no mention of the false flag the vessel was flying but called on, “all Venezuelans to stand firm in defense of the homeland and urges the international community to reject this vandalistic, illegal, and unprecedented aggression that seeks to normalize itself as a tool of pressure and plunder.”

Over the weekend, the United States Embassy here told Stabroek News that United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) has been assisting the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard in improving its radar capability to enable this country to have a better idea of activities taking place in its sea space.

“This includes our joint development of coastal radar capability for the GDF Coast Guard. The coastal radar project is an ongoing line of effort and cooperation between USSOUTHCOM and the Guyana Defence Force that focuses on Maritime Domain Awareness,” the embassy’s public affairs department said in response to questions from Stabroek News.

Responding to the question on whether Guyana sought radar assistance from the US, the embassy said, “The U.S-Guyana military-to-military partnership spans training, exchanges, and acquisitions in key national security areas.”

The issue of US radar support or location in the Caribbean has been a major one in Grenada where the government is still studying the technical and other implications of allowing an American military radar system at the Maurice Bishop International Airport.

However, the Trinidad and Tobago government quietly allowed the US to erect such a facility at the airport on Tobago, raising serious concerns among Tobago politicians and the country’s main opposition People’s National Movement.

 Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said the Tobago-based radar will keep an eye on transnational crimes such as narco-trafficking and Venezuela’s breaking of sanctions on the shipment of crude.

“The US owns thousands of satellites, they own the GPS system, and they have almost 20 per cent of their navy in the Caribbean with the most sophisticated military communications technology in existence. They don’t need to put a radar in our country to use for any military purpose. They could monitor the entire Caribbean from the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier. Sensible people understand these facts.”

This screen grab from a video posted by Attorney General Pam Bondi, shows what Bondi says is the execution of “a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran” off the coast of Venezuela, Dec. 10. 2025.