United States - December 10, 2025 Caribbean Sea, International Waters – United States forces stormed and captured a giant Venezuelan oil tanker on Wednesday in a dramatic high-seas operation ordered directly by President Donald Trump, marking the most aggressive move yet in his campaign to crush Nicolás Maduro’s regime. The 333-meter Skipper was carrying almost two million barrels of crude from Venezuela’s sanctioned state oil company PDVSA when Navy SEALs, FBI agents, and Coast Guard teams boarded it in a nighttime helicopter assault. Trump hailed the seizure as a massive victory. “We just took a very large tanker full of Venezuelan oil. Beautiful oil. We’re keeping it,” he told reporters, confirming the cargo will be confiscated and likely sold. Washington says the Skipper has spent years smuggling sanctioned Iranian and Venezuelan oil to China and Syria, using fake flags and turned-off trackers to stay hidden. After Guyana denied registering the ship, the U.S. declared it stateless and therefore open to boarding anywhere on the high seas. Venezuela exploded in rage, calling the operation “piracy” and “an act of war.” Maduro vowed to take the case to the United Nations and promised retaliation. American officials insist the raid is fully legal under international maritime law and U.S. sanctions statutes, but experts warn it sets a dangerous precedent for seizing foreign ships far from U.S. waters. Sources inside the administration say this is only the beginning. More Venezuelan tankers are already being tracked, and additional seizures are being planned to starve Maduro of cash and force him from power. Oil prices jumped sharply on the news, and shipping companies in the region are now on high alert as the Caribbean turns into a hunting ground for Trump’s navy.