On December 10, 2025, the waters off Venezuela’s coast became the stage for a dramatic showdown with global repercussions. The United States, under President Donald Trump, seized a large oil tanker named the Skipper, which was carrying nearly two million barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude. The move, confirmed by the White House and widely reported by outlets including AFP and Joburg ETC, marks the first time the US has physically intercepted a Venezuelan oil shipment since the imposition of sweeping sanctions in 2019.
The White House accused the Skipper of engaging in “illicit oil shipping” in violation of US sanctions. The vessel is now being redirected to an American port for further action, according to US officials. This operation is not just a routine enforcement measure—it’s a major escalation in Washington’s campaign to choke off the vital oil revenue that keeps President Nicolás Maduro’s government afloat. The stakes are high: oil accounts for roughly 88 percent of Venezuela’s $24 billion in exports, supporting everything from basic imports to state salaries in a country battered by hyperinflation and chronic shortages.
Venezuelan officials have responded with fury, denouncing the seizure as an act of “international piracy” and a “serious violation of international law.” On December 15, the Maduro government went further, publicly accusing the neighboring Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago of participating in what they called the “theft of Venezuelan oil.” Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, speaking on behalf of the government via Telegram, accused Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, of turning her country “into an aircraft carrier of the American empire against Venezuela,” and announced the immediate termination of any natural gas agreements between the two nations.
The diplomatic fallout didn’t stop there. Trinidad and Tobago, which had recently installed a US military radar system on its territory, announced that it would allow US military access to its airports for “logistical” activities such as supply replenishment and personnel rotations. While the Caribbean nation insisted that the radar was intended to combat local crime and not as a launchpad for attacks, the timing of the announcement—coming just days after the tanker seizure—has fueled regional suspicion and heightened tensions. Only seven miles separate Venezuela from Trinidad and Tobago at their closest point, making the dispute not just geopolitical but deeply personal for communities on both sides of the water.
Regional observers and legal experts are watching closely. The seizure of the Skipper comes amid a visible US military buildup in the southern Caribbean and renewed rhetoric from President Trump, who has made the removal of Maduro a central foreign policy goal. Critics of the Trump administration’s tactics, such as those cited in The Washington Post, argue that the strategy of intercepting oil shipments—and even more forceful actions like blowing up suspected drug-smuggling boats—pushes the boundaries of legality and international norms. One opinion piece highlighted that “many legal experts consider [these actions] illegal,” and noted that Congress is now demanding the release of unedited Pentagon footage from one such strike, which reportedly resulted in US forces killing survivors clinging to wreckage.
For Venezuela, the economic consequences are dire. Decades of mismanagement and corruption had already hollowed out the oil sector before US sanctions hit in 2019, but those restrictions accelerated the collapse, slashing production and deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis. Any threat to the tankers leaving Venezuela’s ports strikes at the very heart of the state’s survival. As Graphic News and Joburg ETC both note, the country holds some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves, yet it struggles to bring that oil to market. Intercepting shipments adds another layer of uncertainty to already fragile global supply chains, even if the immediate volumes involved are relatively small.
International reaction has been swift and mixed. On social media, commentators across Latin America have voiced concerns about freedom of navigation and the precedent set by a powerful country intercepting civilian oil shipments. Some argue that the US move reflects growing frustration after years of sanctions failed to dislodge Maduro, while others see it as a necessary step to enforce international norms and prevent the Maduro regime from bypassing sanctions through covert means. Energy analysts warn that if the US continues with such actions, the result could be legal battles, diplomatic fallout, and heightened tension in Caribbean waters—potentially impacting global oil markets and regional stability.
Trinidad and Tobago’s domestic politics have also been roiled by the controversy. Opposition senator and former foreign minister Amery Browne accused the government of being “complicit facilitators of extrajudicial killings, cross-border tension and belligerence.” He added, “There is nothing routine about this. It has nothing to do with the usual cooperation and friendly collaborations that we have enjoyed with the US and all of our neighbors for decades.” Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, for her part, has previously praised US operations against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, but has not yet directly addressed Venezuela’s latest accusations regarding the Skipper seizure.
The broader question is whether the Skipper incident is a one-off or the start of a new phase in US-Venezuela relations. The US has signaled that more interceptions could follow, a prospect that has ship owners, insurers, and buyers of Venezuelan oil on high alert. According to Joburg ETC, “the seizure sends a clear message to ship owners, insurers, and buyers that dealing in Venezuelan oil carries rising risks.” Supporters of the Trump administration’s hardline approach argue that without stronger measures, sanctions become little more than background noise. Critics counter that such tactics could harden the resolve of the Maduro government and its allies, while ordinary Venezuelans continue to bear the brunt of economic hardship.
Meanwhile, US lawmakers are scrutinizing the legality of these operations. Congress has announced a review of the administration’s actions in the Caribbean, reflecting concerns not only about international law but also about the potential for unintended consequences in a volatile region. The Skipper’s seizure, then, stands as both a warning shot and a test case for what comes next in the long-running conflict between Washington and Caracas.
As the ship steams toward an American port and diplomatic tempers flare, the world is left to ponder whether this latest flashpoint marks the beginning of a more confrontational—and perhaps riskier—chapter in the struggle over Venezuela’s oil and future.
