US files forfeiture complaint against tanker allegedly tied to Iran, Venezuela oil shipments

HAMILTON, Canada

The US Justice Department has filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking the seizure of an oil tanker and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil allegedly linked to Iran and Venezuela, according to a statement Thursday.

The complaint targets the Motor Tanker Skipper, which was seized by US law enforcement on Dec. 10, 2025, on the high seas and later transported to waters off the Texas coast.

According to the department, the crude oil was supplied by "Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA)," and the vessel allegedly facilitated shipments that generated revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including its Quds Force, which the US has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The complaint alleges that since at least 2021, the tanker moved Iranian and Venezuelan crude through ship-to-ship transfers and other deceptive practices to evade sanctions. In Nov. 2025, it loaded about 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin oil, some of which was reportedly destined for Cubametales, a Cuban state-run oil firm sanctioned by the US.

"Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi, adding: "This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe."

Also, in the statement, FBI Director Kash Patel said: "This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade."

"The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security," he added.

The Trump administration has intensified military operations in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since September, citing efforts against narcotics trafficking, killing at least 148 people since the start of operations.

The campaign coincided with broader US pressure on Venezuela, including oil tanker blockades, vessel seizures and a heightened military presence near Venezuelan waters.

A US military operation in that country on Jan. 3 led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.