U.S. Seizes Nigerian-Owned Supertanker Over Alleged Crude Theft and Criminal Links

U.S. authorities have seized a Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, following allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and links to wider transnational criminal networks. The operation was carried out by the United States Coast Guard in coordination with the U.S. Navy, targeting the 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier with IMO Number 9304667. Though managed by Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., registry documents list Triton Navigation Corp. of the Marshall Islands as the vessel’s owner.

Officials reported that the tanker was flying the Guyanese flag without authorization. Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department confirmed the vessel does not appear on its national registry and was using the flag illegally. U.S. security sources said the interception was executed under American law enforcement authority, with President Donald Trump announcing the action on 10 December 2025.

Beyond the suspected theft of crude oil, investigators are examining claims that the tanker may have been transporting a large shipment of hard drugs and operating within a criminal network tied to Iranian and other Islamist-backed money laundering groups. Corporate records from Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission show that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. is currently listed as inactive.