U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker 'The Skipper' Near Venezuela Amid Sanctions
The United States has seized an oil tanker named 'The Skipper' off the coast of Venezuela. This operation, announced by President Trump, involved special operations forces and two helicopters, and was launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford. The tanker, previously known as 'Adisa', was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2022 for its alleged involvement in an oil smuggling network that supported the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah. The vessel is linked to Russian oil magnate Viktor Artemov and was reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. The operation was led by the U.S. Coast Guard, with support from Navy forces, and involved a fast-rope boarding from helicopters, a rare but trained-for maneuver. The government of Guyana noted that the ship was falsely flying the Guyanese flag. 
