The Hidden Journey of a Seized Oil Tanker

Thu Dec 11 2025 21:28:01 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent US operation led to the seizure of an oil tanker with a history of concealing its location. This article explores how the tanker, known as the Skipper, evaded detection while reportedly transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

The US has seized the Skipper, a tanker accused of hiding its movements to evade oil sanctions imposed on Venezuela and Iran. Data reveals the tanker engaged in misleading ship tracking practices and was part of a broader network of vessels linked to oil smuggling. As investigations continue, analysts highlight the complexities of maritime sanctions enforcement and the tactics used by vessels to obscure their movements.

The oil tanker seized by US forces on Wednesday had a track record of faking or concealing its location information, apparently to hide its activities, ship tracking data shows.

On Wednesday evening, the US confirmed that its forces seized a vessel during a helicopter-launched raid near the coast of Venezuela. BBC Verify confirmed the ship was the Skipper by matching a sign seen in footage released by the US to a reference photo supplied by TankerTrackers.com, a site which monitors oil shipments.

Data held by publicly accessible tracking sites paints an incomplete picture of the vessel's movements, and before its seizure it hadn't declared its position since 7 November. Maritime analytics firm Kpler also suggested that the vessel had engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi described the vessel as a 'crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.'

The US Treasury department first sanctioned the ship in 2022, when it was sailing under the name Adisa, and was accused of being part of an 'international oil smuggling network'.

The Skipper has sailed under the flag of Guyana, but the government was quick to release a statement saying that the 20-year-old tanker was 'falsely flying the Guyana Flag as it is not registered in Guyana.'

Experts told BBC Verify that the Skipper was likely a part of the so-called 'dark fleet' - a global network of oil tankers that seek to evade oil sanctions by obscuring their ownership, identities, and travel histories.