The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit in the District Court for the District of Columbia demanding the transfer of ownership of the seized supertanker Skipper, along with its cargo of 1.8 million barrels of crude oil, to the state. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
According to an official statement from the agency, the vessel was involved in a large-scale sanctions evasion scheme to finance Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. U.S. authorities claim that over the past few years, the tanker has systematically concealed its routes and falsified location data, transporting millions of barrels of Iranian and Venezuelan-origin fuel.
Sanctions evasion schemes and vessel route masking
The investigation found that Skipper used signal spoofing tactics and flew flags of various countries, including Guyana, without legal grounds. A confidential source informed the U.S. government that in the last two years alone, the tanker loaded approximately seven million barrels of Iranian oil for the benefit of sanctioned entities.
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After being detained, the vessel's crew confirmed that it was initially heading to Cuba, but later received an urgent order to change course towards one of the Asian countries to sell the illegal cargo.
Increased naval pressure on the Maduro regime
The seizure of the tanker off the coast of Venezuela in December was part of a broader U.S. strategy aimed at limiting Nicolás Maduro's financial resources. According to the Pentagon, U.S. military forces have intercepted ten similar vessels since December, three of which were detained in the Indian Ocean after prolonged surveillance from the Caribbean. The confiscation of Skipper's property without compensation is another step in stopping smuggling operations that support Iranian and Venezuelan state-owned companies despite international restrictions.
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