US Coast Guard Seizes Oil Tanker, Because Sanctions Need Drama Too
KEY POINTS
- ā¢The US Coast Guard seized the M/T Skipper crude oil tanker off Venezuela just before the warrant expired on Wednesday.
- ā¢The warrant was signed by Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui on November 26 for seizure under terrorism-related federal laws.
- ā¢FBI Director Kash Patel said seizures serve to impose costs on Venezuelan and Iranian governments amid falling oil prices.
In a plot twist worthy of a low-budget spy movie, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the M/T Skipper, a crude oil tanker off Venezuela, on the very edge of its warrantās expirationābecause timing is everything, especially in naval suspense. Signed on November 26 by the indefatigable Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, this legal sleepover party wasnāt just any paperwork; it was a seizure powered by federal laws targeting 'planning or perpetrating any Federal crime of terrorism.' FBI boss Kash Patel took a moment to brag about slapping economic handcuffs on Venezuelaās NicolĆ”s Maduro and Iran through relentless sanctions, even while oil prices shrug off the drama thanks to a bloated global supply and Venezuelan oil playing the role of the wallflower in the market dance.
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Nothing says international diplomacy like seizing a giant oily metal whale days before your warrant goes poof. Justice runs on deadlines and drama.
The Coast Guard just gave a kidnapping lesson to a tanker, proof that paperwork beats petroleum timing every time.
Watching the US chase Venezuelan oil ships is like a reality show titled 'Sanctions: The Ultimate Game of Hide and Seek.' Spoiler alert: deadlines win.
Source: Axios | Published: 12/13/2025 | Author: Lauren Floyd
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