US forces recently seized the oil tanker "Skipper" off Venezuela's Caribbean coast, marking their largest operation of its kind and renewing tensions with Nicolás Maduro's government.The vessel, sanctioned by OFAC since 2022, was accused of transmitting false AIS positions and sailing under a false flag to circumvent sanctions, carrying over 1.1 million barrels of Venezuelan crude loaded in mid-November.Pam Bondi stated the seizure targeted a "shadow fleet" supporting groups like
IRGC and
Hezbollah, while
Venezuela condemned the action as "international piracy" and theft.