U.S. Vessel Seizures And Pursuit Of Dark Fleet Oil Tankers

On December 12, 2025, the United States Attorney's Office ("USAO") for the District of Columbia obtained an order unsealing its seizure warrant for the M/T Skipper, a Venezuelan oil tanker.¹ The seized vessel was identified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") as being used in an oil shipping network in support of two foreign terrorist organizations.² This case is being prosecuted by the USAO along with the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division and Criminal Division.³ This is the first seizure action of the U.S. government's recent pressure campaign against Venezuela. This post summarizes major legal points from the seizure warrant and tracks the ensuing developments

The Seizure Warrant

The seizure was authorized under a civil forfeiture statute.⁴ Specifically, M/T Skipper constitutes the assets of "any individual, entity, or organization engaged in planning or perpetrating any [] Federal crime of terrorism (as defined in section 2332b(g)(5)) against the United States, citizens or residents of the United States, or their property, and all assets, foreign or domestic, affording any person a source of influence over any such entity or organization." Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ("D.D.C.") issued the warrant.⁵ Judge Faruqui ordered to unseal the seizure warrant as "[t]ransparency requires courts to timely unseal—with redactions if needed—every judicial decision, including [seizure] warrants."⁶

Legal Implications

M/T Skipper is a large crude carrier loaded with 1.85 million barrels of Venezuela's Merey heavy crude.⁷ According to Guyana's maritime authority, M/T Skipper was falsely flying the country's flag.⁸ The property described in the seizure warrant is "the M/T Skipper International Maritime Organization ("IMO") No. 9304667",⁹ which does not cover the crude carried by M/T Skipper. Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") Director Kash Patel stated that "[t]he seizure of this vessel highlights our successful efforts to impose costs on the governments of Venezuela and Iran. Sanctions enforcement requires a whole-of-government approach and the FBI is proud to be part of the team."¹⁰ Accordingly, we may see forthcoming enforcements from numerous federal agencies.

Forfeiture and Challenge Actions

The same civil forfeiture procedure may also apply to the crude on M/T Skipper, if an appropriate forfeiture procedure is initiated. Therefore, we may see court-issued seizure warrant on the crude in the near future. The interested party in either the vessel or the crude may challenge the seizure pursuant to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which provides that "[a] person aggrieved by an unlawful search and seizure of property or by the deprivation of property may move for the property's return."¹¹ Any such motion [to challenge a seizure] must be filed in the district where the property was seized.¹² If not challenged by any interested parties, the U.S. Marshals Service of the Department of Justice can dispose or convert the seized property since it has the primary authority over the disposal of seized assets.¹³

Seizure Actions and Developing Sanction Trends

In addition to the seizure of M/T Skipper, the U.S. Coast Guard seized a second oil tanker, M/T Centuries, after it departed Venezuela on December 20, 2025.¹⁴ Further, there has been reportedly an active pursuit of a third oil tanker, Bella 1, which refused to be boarded and fled.¹⁵ The Venezuelan government condemned the seizure of vessel as a "serious act of piracy".¹⁶

The seizure of M/T Skipper is an initial test case for the U.S. government authority to seize Venezuelan oil tankers. As the case unfolds, we will closely monitor the developments.

Footnotes

1. U.S. Unseals Warrant for Tanker Seized by Coast Guard Off the Coast of Venezuela – DOJ.

2. Id.

3. Id.

4. 18 U.S.C.A. § 981.

5. Seizure Warrant, Case No. 25-sz-50.

6. In re Search of One Device & Two Individuals under Rule 41, 784 F. Supp. 3d 234, 255 (D.D.C. 2025).

7. Supertanker Skipper seized by US near Venezuela is heading to Houston, sources say – Reuters.

8.Id.

9. Supra 5.

10. Supra 1.

11. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 41, §(g).

12. Id.

13. 9-115.100 - Management and Disposal of Seized Assets – DOJ.

14. US forces seize oil tanker in the Caribbean – Task & Purpose.

15. U.S. Coast Guard still pursuing an oil tanker near Venezuela, source says, as Trump administration continues pressure campaign – CBS News.

16. Supra 14.

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