US seized tanker near Venezuela just as warrant was set to expire, court document shows

The US Government carried out its seizure of the tanker Skipper off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday just as a judge-signed warrant was set to expire, according to the document which was unsealed on Friday.

The warrant, which was signed by US Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui on November 26, gave the Trump administration until December 10, 2025 to seize the vessel. The seizure is the first of a Venezuelan oil cargo amid US sanctions that have been in force since 2019.