U.S. seeks forfeiture of seized tanker Skipper and 1.8M barrels of crude

In another move against the “ghost fleet,” the U.S. Department of Justice says that a complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the motor tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela.

United States is seeking the forfeiture of the oil tanker named Skipper and 1.8M barrels of sanctioned crude oil that supported Iran and Venezuela. The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum… pic.twitter.com/vE0kVgQMn5

— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) February 27, 2026

As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).

The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During…